Chuck Versus the Apocalyptic Wasteland
by LittleCandyMan
Summary: Totally AU in the Fallout Universe! Chuck teams up with Sarah and Casey to fix the desolate ruins of Los Angeles. The only way is to create a G.E.C.K. with help from the elder Bartowski's. Filled with action! No Fallout knowledge necessary! Chuck/Sarah
1. Chuck Versus the Start of Something New

**Since it's Halloween, I thought I might as well throw this out there for some feedback.**

**I have (or had by now) major writer's block for my other story "Chuck Versus the New Enemy" or maybe I just exhausted my imagination, but anyways I will see where this story takes me.**

**I thought if other people can make totally alternate universe stories, why can't I? (Even if I'm stealing the setting from another story).**

**It is based in the Fallout universe. If you do not know what that is, it is a video game that is about an apocalyptic wasteland after the world had been nuked. If you want to learn more, you can always find it on Wikipedia and other websites.**

**I do not own Chuck or Fallout, although I wish I owned both.**

**The world is completely different from how it was last seen from the vault but one thing always stays constant.**

**War, War never changes.**

**/**

After the Russians decided sending nuclear weapons against the U.S., they retaliated with their own weapons of equal magnitude. This lasted only thirteen minutes, but changed the world forever. After the bombs landed in 2276, the cities that were directly hit were totally demolished. Washington D.C., Arizona, and California were directly hit. San Francisco is totally demolished and Los Angeles is almost totally ruined.

Luckily, many vaults were set up to preserve the human race. To be allowed into a vault, you needed to be either rich enough to pay a million dollars per person or deemed a necessity to the survival of human races (doctors, top ranking military personnel, and politicians). Many people didn't make it into the vaults when they closed in 2016.

After the bombs hit, many people survived it but the radiation made it hard to survive. Most people died from the radiation or became so irradiated, their skin and hair peeled off and they became ghouls (they look like zombies). The people who didn't turn into ghouls, wither grouped up to create settlements to survive, or became insane from the lifestyle change.

Many of the vaults had experimental purposes to test how people would react. Many of them were catastrophic and the inhabitants of some of those vaults died out. Around 100 years after the bombs changed the world, the vaults opened by a program. The vault dwellers were amazed and horrified by the destruction before them and learned how to adapt over time; building settlements and creating jobs. The most common job is selling junk and Bottle Caps have become the currency across the land, since most money disintegrated from the bombs.

200 years later, a baby boy is born inside Vault 6. Mary Bartowski just delivered her second child that her and Stephen have named Charles Irving Bartowski.

"Mommy! Mommy!" A cute little brunette girl tugs at Mary's shirt. "See?" Mary smiles to her two year old daughter.

"Ellie, you're now officially a sister," Mary informs the little girl as she lowers the newborn child into Ellie's eye sight. "His name is Charles. Can you say that?"

"Charel! Churl! Chuck!" Ellie exclaims, trying to pronounce her brother's name.

"Chuck," Mary muses, "I like that."

"This is the happiest day of my life," Stephen smiles as he lifts Ellie and lays her next to Mary. Ellie forms to Mary's side and smiles at the baby.

"You want to hold him?" Mary asks Ellie.

"Mmmhmm," Ellie nods her head vigorously in glee. Mary carefully places Chuck in Ellie's arms, while Stephen makes sure the baby doesn't fall out. "Chuck!" Ellie exclaims as she sticks her hand out for Chuck to grab. Chuck's hand grips around her finger and he laughs with a hiccup.

Ten years later, Chuck is now double digits old.

"Happy Birthday!" Ellie shrieks with joy as she gives Chuck a crushing hug.

"Are we going to do this every year?" Chuck complains as he struggles to breath.

"This is a special year, son," Stephen hands him a wrist device.

"A Pip-boy?" Chuck exclaims. He has wanted one ever since seeing Ellie's. He has been dying to play with it. It is like a computer on his wrist. Everyone in the vault gets one when they turn ten years old.

"Sweet!" Morgan, Chuck's best friend cheers. "I want one so bad!"

"Don't worry buddy. You'll get yours in a month," Chuck informs him. They have been best friends ever since starting school four years ago. They do everything together from reading comics to sampling music holotapes.

"I'm proud of you Chuck," Mary gives him a kiss on the cheek.

"Eww…" Chuck shies away as he rubs his cheek vigorously. Everyone laughs at his embarrassment.

Six years later, Chuck is now sixteen and taking classes. Ellie and Chuck have been inseparable from the moment they saw each other. They have helped each other whenever they needed it; Chuck helps Ellie with computer stuff and Ellie helps him with medical stuff. Ellie has always been fascinated with being a doctor ever since she helped Chuck when he scraped his knee and elbow when Chuck was four.

"Hey Ellie," Chuck greets her.

"Hey Chuck, you ready to take the G.O.A.T. test?"

"Not really. I don't get it really. It determines my job? What if it says I'm going to be a plumber or something I don't want to do?" Chuck nervously babbles.

"It's a joke. Every sixteen year old has to take it. Just calm down, I got what I wanted to do," she informs him that she got a job as a doctor. "I'm sure you'll get computer nerd or something."

"Thanks Ellie," Chuck smiles with relief as he heads off to take the test.

/

Two years later, Chuck wakes up to Morgan shaking him. "Chuck! Wake up!" Morgan disturbs his sleep.

"What?" He groggily asks.

"This is the day!"

"What day?"

"You're eighteen! Now you get matched with a girl!"

"Oh yea, I forgot," Chuck sounds apathetic about it.

"How are you not happy? I can't wait!"

"It's just, it doesn't seem right, you know? We shouldn't be forced to be with someone."

"You're too moral, man! How else is the human race going to survive?"

"Social Darwinism?" Chuck quips. "You know, survival of the fittest?"

"You need to stop reading those bogus psychology books."

"You're right buddy," Chuck laughs slightly. "Lets get this over with."

After evaluating all eighteen year olds, Chuck was matched with a cute brunette who was almost as intellectual as him, Jill Roberts. When they first met, it was awkward but after two weeks of being forced together, they became good friends. The problem was that Chuck wasn't in love with her; he just liked their stimulating conversations that no one else was smart enough to have with him.

/

Four weeks after meeting Jill, Chuck is awoken from a very erratic Morgan. He looks nervous and frightened as he gets Chuck to wake up.

"What is it buddy? And can you shut that damn alarm off?" Chuck looks around the room where an alarm is flashing the room with red light.

"It's your parents! They've escaped the vault!" Morgan informs him with haste.

"What? When? Where's Ellie?"

"They took her for questioning. They think you and her had something to do with them leaving."

"What? That's crap. I didn't know until just ten seconds ago. Wait, they are torturing Ellie?" Chuck panics as he jumps out of bed with widened eyes.

"I don't know but you need to get out of here now! They are going to come after you! Jonas is in the basement and he knows how to get you out!"

"Lets go, but I'm getting Ellie first."

"Be careful then," Morgan shakes his head in disbelief.

"I want you to come with me too." Chuck says truthfully. Morgan is his best friend and it would be so difficult to leave him behind. Morgan quickly nods his head in acceptance.

"I'll come," Morgan accepts confidently. "What about Jill?"

"I'll see if she wants to leave too. Do you know where she is?"

"Probably in her room. The Overseer issued a lockdown."

"Damn," Chuck zips up his blue and yellow vault suit with a large number 6 on the back and grabs his pocket knife as his only weapon. "Lets go. Jill is only four doors away."

Chuck and Morgan sneak out and head down the hallway. A guard turns the corner and they both quickly hide in a storage closet.

"I don't think this was meant for two people," Morgan quips as he can barely breath in the tight confinement.

"Me neither," Chuck answers as they wait thirty seconds and he peeks out the door. The coast is clear and he quickly gets to Jill's door. He steps in and sees Jill and her parents sitting at the table nervously. "Jill!"

"Chuck!" She runs up and hugs him. "They're looking for you! What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything. Morgan here told me about my parents leaving. I'm getting out of this vault like them. I want you to come with me."

"No!" Jill's father shouts. "You shouldn't even be here. Jill, you are not going with this fugitive!"

"I'm, I'm sorry Chuck, but he's right. I can't leave," Jill concurs somberly as tears escape her eyes.

"I understand," Chuck looks into her saddened eyes. "Please don't tell the guards you've seen me."

"We won't. It's the least we could do. Good luck out there Chuck." Jill hugs him tightly as they part ways expecting to never see each other again.

"Lets go get Ellie," Chuck informs Morgan as they head out to find her.

"Right behind you buddy," Morgan assures his loyalty.

/

Sarah Walker is one of the top agents for the New California Republic (NCR). She was recruited when her town was attacked by raiders when she was twelve years old. The drugged-out raiders wiped out everyone in town. She hid underneath her house when the raiders brutally murdered her mom and dad while she watched between the wood planks above her. She held her mouth shut and forced back her tears and cries as her parent's blood dripped between the planks around her.

The town was fairly small with only four families that lived there and a sheriff. After two days hiding under the house, she climbed up to see the rotting bodies of her parents. She cried for hours before muscling up the courage to head out. She gathered all the gear her parents had saved up; her dad's favorite gun, a .45 caliber Colt 1911 handgun, and a backpack to store food and water.

She treks from the small desolate town of Marsgrove and heads south towards New Angeles (formerly Los Angeles). After a week long trip, she is famished, dehydrated and has no supplies left. The thought of raiding has crossed her mind but she always thought that would make her no better than the people who murdered her family. That is her last resort and she finds the perfect opportunity.

A pack Brahmin (mutated cow used as a pack mule) with only two people are cruising along. She sneaks behind them and holds them up.

"Freeze!" She orders. They both raise their hands.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a black man in his late forties suavely suggests.

"I want all your food and water. Hand it over!"

"You don't want to do this. My name is Langston Graham and I am an NCR director." The man introduces himself as law enforcement, or the closest thing to law enforcement the wasteland provides.

"Shit! NCR!" Sarah knows how bad it is to mess with them. "I don't care! I need water and food!" She cries out, knowing it is too late now and she won't survive without it.

"Take what you want, but I want you to lower your gun."

Sarah goes for the pack Brahmin and opens the pouch full of food and water, while still aiming her gun towards Graham and his agent. "I'm sorry about this but I had no choice."

"There is always a choice. Just lower your weapon and we could talk," Graham could tell she is only a child and wants to know why a child is all alone.

"Fine," she reluctantly lowers her weapon as she drinks some water from a bottle she stole from Graham. Her hand never leaves the gun's grip, but it is aimed at the ground.

"Good. Now, what is a young girl like you doing out here?"

"Surviving," she answers cryptically like it is obvious.

"Aren't we all," Graham chuckles. "So, where are your parents?"

"Dead. Raiders wiped them out," she answers with disgust. The old Sarah would have cried at the thought but living alone for weeks toughens you up. She eats a piece of jerky made from an unknown meat but she doesn't care.

"I'm sorry to hear that. How long have you been alone?"

"Bout two weeks now."

"Are you heading anywhere in particular?"

"Angeles."

"We are heading that way too. Would you like to join us? We'll give you all the food and water you want."

"How do I know you aren't just going to shoot me in the back?" Sarah's eyes narrow. She knows you cannot trust anyone, not even yourself in such a desolate wasteland.

"I guess I can't really insure that I won't, but I promise."

Sarah ponders the idea. All the food and water she could want and people to help her travel. "I guess I have no choice then." Graham smiles as he lays his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, you're safe now."

They head out towards New Angeles. Sarah has a new partner and soon to be father figure and mentor.

/

Chuck and Morgan sneak their way past a few guards. The thought of killing someone is too scary for them. They are walking by the armory, thinking that Ellie being somewhere near there would be the most logical.

"I don't know anything!" Ellie's voice screams from the room ahead of them. Chuck hears it and hurries. He opens the door to see Ellie looking at him in confusion and the interrogator fumble for his baton.

"You!" The interrogator booms. "You're under arrest."

"We both don't know anything. I swear!" Chuck pleads as the interrogator gets closer and Chuck flinches back in fear. Ellie gets up from her seat and hits the guy in the back with her chair before the man could hit Chuck.

"We need to get out of here!" Ellie orders.

"I know. We came for you," Chuck hugs her tightly, thinking she may never see him again. She gives Morgan a brief hug that he revels in, lingering for a little too long.

"Thank you Chuck. How did mom and dad get out of here?"

"I don't know but Dad's friend Jonas might know." Chuck leans down and takes the baton as a weapon. They both hurry to get to the basement where Jonas is.

/

"What is it Director?" Sarah asks Graham.

"You have been my best agent the last five years. There are two people holed up in Vault 6 that I need you to find and get them here alive and well. They are the future of the human race."

"The future? Excuse me sir, but what does that mean?"

"Stephen and Mary Bartowski are scientists and are the secret to creating a G.E.C.K."

"G.E.C.K.?"

"Garden of Eden Creation Kit, simply. It is a device that can create green landscapes that will allow the life to grow again."

"And they could make it?" Sarah is appalled. Something like that sounds impossible.

"I believe so. I used to know them twenty five years ago and they planned out the idea and proved it was possible."

"How did they get into a vault then?"

"That's the problem. They gave up and ran off to hide in that vault. The vault was never made to be opened, but they knew how to get in. I need you to go there and find a way in."

"Yes, Director."

"Good. I will have my assistant give you all the intel we have. I hope you are successful. My men will supply you with anything you need."

"Thank you sir," she walks out, ready for the new mission.

After the fateful day that she grouped with Graham, he has told her how much he could fix her life. She became his protégé and learned how to survive and become his top agent. She was sent out to fix any problems the NCR had with other factions and people. She was the best at her job and Graham would never find someone as skillful as her again. She has become an expert at throwing knives, hand-to hand combat, handgun precision, and assault rifle precision.

/

Chuck, Ellie, and Morgan get to the basement where Jonas is waiting. He sees them and rushes over to them. "Chuck! Ellie! Your father told me to give you this holotape!"

"What does it say?" Chuck asks.

"I never listened to it, but I don't think he wants you to leave the vault. He planned on leaving for a year now and never told me that you both were in on it."

"That's because we're not!" Ellie informs him.

"Look, I will tell you how your father left because you guys are now fugitives here and can't stay safely. You need to head through there," Jonas points down a hallway. "Then through the door and there is a secret passage underneath the desk in that room. It should lead you right out. Hurry! I'll hold any guards back."

"Thank you Jonas," Chuck shakes his hand.

"Your father was always a good friend. Good luck on finding him. Oh, and take this too," Jonas gives them a small device that has an input that fits in their pip-boys. "Upload it into your pip-boys. It will give you a map of the area. We should be forty five miles east of New Angeles."

"How do you know where we are?"

"Your parents were not born in the vault like the rest of us."

"What?" Ellie is appalled as the three young'n widen their eyes and raise their brows.

"They convinced the Overseer to let them in twenty five years ago. You weren't supposed to know but if you're going out there, I want you to be prepared."

"Thank you Jonas," Ellie hugs him.

"Thanks," Morgan sheepishly shakes his hand.

"Now go!" Jonas orders.

They rush down the hallway, following Jonas' orders precisely. They make it to the secret passage underneath the desk. They run down it and through the secret passage. After about fifty yards of running, they make it to a door. They go through it to see a giant cockroach.

"Gah! What the hell is that?" Ellie shrieks as she jumps back behind Chuck.

"It looks like a cockroach," Morgan comments.

"Yea, a giant cockroach," Chuck elaborates.

"Kill it!" Ellie orders as Chuck listens and creeps towards it. He mumbles something about cockroaches being the only thing that can survive a nuclear blast. He hits it with the baton and it crushes on the ground. Ooze seeps out of the dead giant cockroach.

"That's disgusting," Morgan muses.

"Lets go," Chuck orders as they keep going through another door. Through that door, they end up in a control room with a giant gear-like door ahead of them.

"This must be it," Ellie muses in awe. Chuck presses the button and the door squeaks and grinds.

"That doesn't sound good," Morgan comments. The door slides out of the frame, making a shrilling noise, and then spins out of the way.

"You guys ready?" Chuck quips with a scared grin on his face. He has no idea what is out there. They head out through the twenty foot tunnel the vault was buried into and out the door.

The sunlight blinds them horribly as they have never seen real sunlight before. They all close their eyes shut and slowly creep them open as they adjust slowly.

"That is so bright," Chuck complains.

"I know," Morgan says through his scrunched face.

"You have to let your pupils dilate. Try to open them," Ellie provides the doctoral comment. A minute later, their eyes adjust and they have no idea where they are.

The area around them is totally barren as some tumbleweed blows across the desolate wasteland. There are demolished houses fifty feet ahead of them and no sign of life anywhere.

"Where are we?" Chuck asks.

"I have no idea; maybe dad's holotape has something on it," Ellie suggests. Chuck plays it through his pip-boy wrist computer.

"_If you are listening to this Chuck and Ellie, then we have gotten out of the vault. We both love you so much but we have something that we have to do. I hope you both are living well in the vault. Chuck, you and Jill are great together and should think about marriage," Stephen continues on the holotape. "Ellie, I hope you find someone who can keep up with your medical expertise." A mixture of a male and female chuckle ensues for a second._

"_Chuck, Ellie, I love you both so much and it has been a blessing to raise you both. We are going to change the world and want you to stay safe in the vault," Mary explains._

"_The truth about us is that we were not born in the vault. We got there twenty five years ago and wanted to make sure you both had a safe place to live. We both love you and it was hard to leave but you are both big enough to take care of yourselves. I hope you both find happiness and we love you," Stephen's voice ends the tape._

"But we had to leave," Chuck muses sadly after hearing their parent's goodbye wishes.

"Morgan, do your parents know about you leaving?" Ellie asks horrified, realizing how worried they must be.

"They'll be fine," Morgan smiles genuinely. "I told them that I will always love them and they know I would do anything for Chuck."

"Thanks buddy. This means a lot," Chuck lays his left hand, which has the pip-boy, on Morgan's shoulder.

"The pip-boy!" Morgan exclaims. Chuck furrows his brow in confusion. "We uploaded the maps," he informs, trying to remind them.

"He's right!" Ellie quickly checks the map and it has a few settlements marked and the vault marked too. "We are here, at Vault 6. We should head west and see if there is anyone who can help us find mom and dad."

"How do we know there is anyone still alive?" Morgan asks.

"If our parents were not born in the vault, then there is obviously life out here," Chuck informs him.

"Life? We don't know what the hell is out there though. We already saw a giant cockroach. What if there are giant uh… mutants?" Morgan explodes in fear, throwing his hands up.

"Like X-men with the special powers?" Chuck's eyes widen at how cool that would be. X-men was one of the many comics that were stocked inside the vault.

"We need to find some weapons and prepare ourselves," Ellie explains wearily. "This is going to be nothing we've ever experienced before."

**/**

**So how is this so far? I am not quite sure about all the details but I hope you enjoy it. Obviously I've been playing the game "Fallout: New Vegas" lately and it sparked this story. I'll try to involve more action and stuff. This was more of a prequel to fill you in on background stories. And this is obviously going to be a Chuck and Sarah story because I'm a sucker for those.**

**If you are curious about any of the things I've mentioned from the Fallout universe, check this wiki out: ****.com/wiki/Fallout_Wiki**

**Please review with any ideas or plot holes or anything you want to tell me about.**


	2. Chuck Versus the Town of Jacobstown

**If you are playing the game Fallout: New Vegas, you can get a follower by the name of Arcade Gannon. He is voiced by Zachary Levi, which is quite awesome and quite similar to the character Chuck except for the sexual orientation part.**

**I guess people just don't feel like reviewing anymore but it's alright. Thanks for the reviews so far though.**

**I do not own Chuck or Fallout.**

**/**

Chuck, Ellie, and Morgan are traveling west. They finally find a road that is parallel with their path, so they follow it hoping it is safer than out in the middle of nowhere. They pass through a few abandoned houses and a few demolished houses with only some walls remain standing.

"You think we should see if there is anything useful in these houses?" Chuck asks harmlessly.

"Why would there be?" Ellie furrows her brow.

"You mean scavenge? That actually might be a good idea," Morgan concurs with Chuck.

"All we're going to find is some rubble," Ellie argues.

"We do need to find some water and food, but where?" Chuck has no idea where they could find food. In the vault, there were purified water from all water fountains and the food dispensers gave great meals. They are now out in a wasteland that has nothing like that, although they have no idea, they don't think they'll find anything like that.

"Yea we do. Maybe we could find a town somewhere near," Ellie suggests using hope.

"There is still no proof humans are alive out here," Morgan complains smugly, thinking he is right no matter how much he wants to be wrong.

"If my parents came from out here, then there must be people somewhere," Chuck argues.

"I know but we've been walking for hours and all we've seen are broken houses and tumbleweed."

"We'll find something soon. I promise," Chuck tells him just to stop the argument.

"Look!" Ellie points off into the distance ahead of them. Chuck and Morgan squint their eyes to try to focus on the buildings off in the distance. "Those are buildings. People have to live there!"

"Those are buildings!" Chuck's eyes widen as he concurs with Ellie. "You're probably right, Ellie! You see Morgan? I told you," Chuck grins widely at Morgan.

"You're right. Which is better than me being right in the current situation," Morgan returns a grin back.

They pick up their pace slightly, hoping to see friendly humans. They don't know what could be ahead of them and the only weapon they have is police baton.

There is a giant sign above a gate that reads Jacobstown. They arrive outside the gate, where a man is standing in a ten foot tower. When he notices them, his eyes widen as he notices the vault jumpsuits. He drops down from his tower and greets them.

"You come from a vault?" The man asks. Dirt lightly sprinkles his tan skin and his combat helmet is too large and slumps slightly to his eyebrows.

"Yes!" Ellie says, ecstatic to see human life outside the vault.

"It's great to see another human," Chuck muses. The man laughs hard as he clutches his assault rifle harmlessly to contain himself. The vault dwellers' eyes dart to the gun fearfully.

"Well, I'm Watchguard Rodgers. Call me Mike," the man introduces himself with half his mouth raised in a grin at Chuck's comment.

"Hi Mike, I'm Ellie. This is Chuck and Morgan."

"Good to meet you. You know those other two who came by here not too long ago?"

"Who?" Chuck asks, thinking it must be their parents.

"What was his name," Mike muses while snapping his fingers. "Steph. Stephan?"

"Stephen?" Ellie asks.

"Yea, that's it. He said he was on his way west. Didn't talk too much. He seemed a bit eccentric. Had a woman with him. Probably a wife or great friend."

"So they headed west?" Ellie asks.

"Yep, that's what he told me. Maybe some people in town know more. Try Farguson's Bar. They seemed to like that place."

"Thank you so much."

"Yea, no problem. It's always the same with the vault dwellers," Mike smiles. "Let me tell you the basics of surviving out here." They all nod there heads. "First of all, don't trust anyone with your life. Not everyone is as nice as me," he laughs and they smile cautiously. "Another thing is get some armor and guns. There is no real law out here, well there's the NCR but they don't do shit."

"NCR?" Morgan asks.

"New California Republic. They deem themselves as the 'law enforcement' but that is bullshit. They don't care about anything but themselves. Just looking for the next way to make caps and further their power."

"Caps?"

Mike laughs heavily. "Right… You guys were taught about that old paper shit, huh? Well, the currency around here is bottle caps. You can find them anywhere really and when you drink a Nuka-Cola or Sarsparilla, that's a cap right there."

"That's odd," Chuck muses.

"This whole shit is odd, man. Who knows what is what anymore. Just watch yourself in the wastelands and don't let anyone push you around. People around here don't give a shit about anyone but themselves and will stab you in the back if you drop your guard."

Chuck and Morgan both swallow loudly. Mike chuckles at their nervous expressions of widened eyes and stretched lower lips. "Is there anywhere to get food and water?" Ellie asks, thinking about their survival more than the search for their parents.

"There ain't none of that vault shit you're used to. Dirty, irradiated water and disgusting meat is what you better get used to. Here, take these and get yourself some food and water. I know I shouldn't be doing this, giving you the wrong idea and such, but you seem like some cool people." His real reason is because it is too often that he finds out about these vault dwellers fail in surviving and ending up raped and murdered or worse as a slave to raiders or other disgusting assholes.

"Thank you Mike," Ellie smiles, which gives him butterflies. "Where can we get a place to sleep?"

"There's a halfway home in there where you can sleep for free, if you get a bed in time. That's where the homeless usually end up. Then there is also Jake's motel. He's a nice guy and all and may comp you a night seeing how people rarely come by here. Oh yea, you can get some food from Michelle's buffet. All you can eat on crappy food. You cannot complain."

"Thank you for helping us so much. We're going to check everything out inside," Ellie says as she heads in.

"Thanks for the survival tips," Chuck nods.

"Yea, no problem," Mike heads back to his tower post.

Chuck, Ellie, and Morgan head inside and check out the area. They head straight to Michelle's to get some food. The food is odd, but not horrible tasting. Chuck preferred the Brahmin steak as it was the closest to normal steak as possible. Ellie enjoyed the soup because the thought of eating all these animals like squirrels, dogs, and rats was too much on her conscious. Morgan enjoyed the iguana on the stick the most. It had a crunchy, sweet flavor that he really enjoyed. After filling up on food and water, they headed to the bar to see if anyone knows about their parents. People kept giving them odd looks and Chuck came to the conclusion that it is because they are in bright blue and yellow vault suits.

/

Sarah finally makes it about five miles away from the vault. She has been traveling non-stop, only halting for food, water and sleep. She comes upon a small settlement called Jacobstown. It is rounding ten in the night and she needs to call it a night. She decides that this town would be a good place to stay.

She heads inside after greeting Mike, the Watchguard. She rents a room at Jake's motel. He was a very nice guy. She decides to hit the bar and relax a little.

/

Chuck, Ellie, and Morgan sit at the bar, getting strange looks from everyone. There is this burly man next to Chuck at the bar. He grunts in amusement, seeing three vault losers as he calls them. Chuck looks at him in bewilderment. He doesn't want to get too much attraction but the suits are like a target on their backs.

"What can I get you?" The bartender asks.

"Water, if you got that," Chuck answers.

"Not the shit you're used to but yea, we got it," the bartender sighs with a laugh and a half smirk.

"How bout you?" The bartender asks the burly man.

"I'll take another whiskey," the burly man answers with a hoarse, masculine voice.

"Is that such a good idea?" Ellie asks the burly man. Chuck, in fear of getting killed, darts his eyes at her and scowls.

"Beats vodka," the man laughs. "Already dreading life outside the vault?" Everyone could tell they are fresh from the vault because of their spotless suits and clean faces.

"Not really. We're actually looking for two people who left the vault last night," Chuck responds carefully.

"Yea, they came by yesterday. Said something about changing the world. Ha!" The burly man waves his hands in the air like a crazy person.

"You have a name?" Ellie asks.

"The name's Casey," the burly man answers.

"He's Chuck. I'm Ellie. And this is Morgan," Ellie introduces them.

"A word of advice," Casey turns his head, "get rid of those suits. You stick out like a super mutant in a, a, well anywhere."

"Super mutant?" Morgan asks with raised eyebrows.

"If you're unlucky enough to survive long enough, you'll probably run into those nasty fuckers. They don't die easily and they sure as hell don't play nice."

"We should be careful," Chuck muses.

"Yea you should," Casey agrees with a chuckle.

"Nice weapon," Chuck notices his handgun in his holster.

"Eyeing my piece, kid?" Casey quips as he un-holsters it and waves it around to show it off.

"What? No, just curious to know where I could get one for protection," Chuck stammers in fear and embarrassment.

"Ha! You're going to need more than a customized USP .45. I got a unique grip on this baby. I don't go anywhere without it but I prefer an M4 rifle when out in the wasteland."

"You sound like you've been around the area plenty of times," Chuck muses.

"I used to be an NCR Ranger. Used to be one of the top marksmen until I quit not too long ago."

"Why'd you quit?" Ellie asks.

"I have enough blood on my hands. Killing innocents. I just don't do it."

"They wanted you to kill innocents?"

"They expected me to take out a family because they knew about the NCR's plan to take over the power plant. Who cares who knew about it?"

"Are the NCR good or bad then?" Morgan asks.

"Mostly good. I don't mean to dock my old unit but they aren't pure saints."

"So what do you do now?" Chuck asks.

"Drink, mostly," Casey raises his glass mockingly toasting. "Sometimes go out on a scavenge hunt for some extra caps."

"How well do you know New Angeles?"

"Like an enemy in my scopes," Casey lays back on his stool.

"Would you mind escorting us there?" Ellie asks.

"Ha! I need some incentive to be your personal guide. Whiskey's expensive, if you catch my drift," Casey stirs the minimal amount left in his glass.

"We don't have any caps. Is there any other way?" Chuck asks, really hoping to get this badass ex-ranger to help them out.

"Sorry, money is everything these days," Casey does actually enjoy the chat, but escorting them is just too risky without the right amount of money.

/

Sarah walks into Farguson's Bar and the stench of desolation tingles her nose. She doesn't mind as she looks over at the bar, something catching her eyes. Three people are sitting there with Vault 6 suits on, a tall curly haired man, a brunette woman, and a short scruffy man. That is the vault she is heading to. Maybe these people can help her find out about these people. She sees a burly man next to them. He looks familiar, but she can't tell without seeing a face. She walks up to Chuck and taps him on the shoulder.

"Hell—" Chuck turns in his seat and his voice fades as his jaw drops at the sight of the beautiful blonde. Her face is delicate with her golden hair brushed behind her right ear and her sapphire eyes are so dreamy. She has a few specks of dirt that give her a sexy toughness that tells you she isn't some floozy or slut but a woman who can take care of herself. Sarah has never gotten that reaction before and stretches one side of her mouth in a grin.

"Did you guys come from Vault 6?" Sarah asks all three of them, clearly seeing Chuck's incapacitation.

"Walker," Casey grunts as he lifts his empty glass and turns in his stool.

"Casey? What are you doing here?" Sarah asks with raised eyebrows.

"This is now my humble abode. I quit a week back."

"You both know each other?" Ellie asks. Chuck finally regains his composure as he smiles brightly at Sarah, like seeing her is such a treat.

"We worked on a couple missions together. One of the best snipers I've seen," Sarah replies.

"So I've heard," Casey quips. "What's Graham's golden girl doing in the middle of nowhere?"

"The usual," she turns to the vault dwellers. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Sarah," she puts her hand out to Chuck first, being the one on the left.

"Hi, I'm uh Chuck," Chuck stutters slightly as he shakes her hand. He is very nervous and Sarah thinks he is kind of cute when he's nervous. But a man is the last thing on her list. "Oh!" Chuck jumps out of his daze after getting an odd look from Sarah for shaking her hand for ten seconds. "This is Ellie and this is Morgan."

"Hi," Sarah smiles genuinely at both of them. "Did you guys come from Vault 6?"

"Yes we did, why?" Ellie asks.

"Do you know two scientists, Stephen and Mary?"

"Those are our parents!" Ellie's eyes widen.

"Parents?" Sarah is flabbergasted with raised eyebrows and widened eyes.

"We're both Bartowski's," Chuck informs her. "Why are you looking for them?"

"The NCR needs their help."

"Do you know where they are?"

"I was hoping you would," Sarah's getting confused. Why would they be asking that question if they left the vault?

"They left the vault yesterday. We followed. Now we're looking for them," Ellie explains.

"Shit!" Sarah squeezes her eyes shut as she looks away. "Do you know where they went?"

"I think they're going towards New Angeles," Chuck informs her.

"Alright, thanks," Sarah turns to leave before Chuck stops her.

"Wait!" Chuck hollers. Sarah turns around with a blank expression. "We can group up and find them together."

"No offense, but you don't look too handy with a firearm," Sarah studies him with her eyes and a scowl on her face.

"That's why we want to group up. We have no chance out there without someone to help. Please…" Chuck pleads with puppy dog eyes. "It's our parents." Sarah doesn't know what it is, but she feels like she would be betraying this guy if she didn't say yes to him. She has never been affected by begging before, so she concludes it is just hard after seeing so many wasteland virgins get killed or enslaved by some assholes.

"I need all the details on your parents then," Sarah rolls her eyes as she steps back up to Chuck.

"Awesome!" Chuck cheers and Sarah giggles slightly. She can't remember the last time she giggled. Chuck's enthusiasm isn't something seen very often in the wasteland and she tells herself that is the reason for the giggle.

"Casey, you still want to join?" Ellie asks. Casey stands there, pondering the idea.

"Casey, we could really use you. You're just sitting here getting drunk. That is no way for a former Ranger… First Recon," Sarah explains, hoping to convince him. First Recon is the best of the best who are known for being able to snipe from 800 yards away.

"Fuck!" Casey slams his empty glass on the bar and looks at the ceiling. "You make a good point." Chuck smiles brightly. "When do we leave?"

"We move out tomorrow. I already have a room at the motel. If you're going to be accompanying me, get rid of those bulls-eye suits," Sarah informs them and hands them enough caps to buy some new clothing. Their eyes widen at the amount, being more than Mike had given them.

/

The next morning, everyone groups up in front of the entrance of the town. Chuck, Ellie, and Morgan are all wearing a plain shirt and some pants; pretty much whatever they could get from the general store. The vault suits actually sold for a considerable amount. Casey is wearing his tan NCR Ranger armor and a backpack. He has his modified M4 rifle with a scope that can turn night vision on and off and a custom barrel that makes the bullet fire faster and stronger, and his trusty sidearm. Sarah is wearing a thin black leather armor that gives her protection and flexibility and has her beloved colt 1911 pistol her dad once found and treasured with modifications and cleanliness.

"Got any guns?" Sarah asks the vault dwellers.

"No, we don't," Chuck answers. "Should we?"

"You should always have one or two… or six," Casey replies crooking his head.

"Where can we get one?" Morgan asks.

"Lets go to Jed's Weaponry," Sarah takes them into a store.

"Welcome to Jed's!" Jed exclaims. "How can I help you today?"

"Just need some weapons for my friends. What do you think?" Sarah asks. Jed eyes all three of them up and down.

"Don't look like they've been in the wastes too long. Probably afraid to shoot a radroach," Jed jokes with a heavy laugh.

"Radroach?" Chuck asks with a furrowed brow.

"Those giant cockroaches," Sarah informs him.

"I killed one of those with this baton here," Chuck flaunts it around to show everyone.

"That's not something to be proud of," Casey lowers Chuck's arm as Chuck looks away embarrassed.

"I think a few pistols like these," Jed waves his hand over his collection for everyone to see. There is a selection of four pistols.

"Take these three," Casey picks them up and inspects them. "More accurate. Less recoil."

"Good choices. That would be four hundred caps," Jed informs them. The vault dwellers' eyes widen.

"We're gonna need some ammo too," Casey informs Sarah while still making sure the guns work fine.

"We'll take nine clips then," Sarah grabs them up and hands three to each vault dweller.

"Five hundred it is," Jed exclaims as Sarah pulls out her pouch of caps.

"Five hundred?" Chuck's eyes widen with his mouth agape. "We don't even have twenty on us!" Sarah smirks sneakily with only half her face as she hands over the caps. All the vault dwellers' eyes watch intently as the caps transfer to another person.

"Here you go," Sarah smiles at Jed as he takes the caps.

"Thank you and feel free to spread the word about my wares!" Jed hollers as they leave.

"People will do anything for attention," Sarah chides as everyone now has a weapon.

/

They head out with Sarah guiding all of them. Casey is on scouting duty, surveying the area around them for any enemies. The three vault dwellers are directly behind Sarah, following her obediently. Chuck's eyes are glued to Sarah. He is very curious to know about her. Who is Sarah Walker? He asks himself as his eyes rest on her ass, unknowingly.

Each cheek moving in perfect harmony of her footsteps and each contraction lifts them gently. After a few minutes, Chuck realizes his eyes have been on her ass for a while now and felt a flush of embarrassment, although no one noticed.

Chuck really wants to know who she is though. She is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. She is a type of police or something. She doesn't look a day older than eighteen. Chuck inconspicuously quickens his pace so he can be next to Sarah.

"Hi," he smiles brightly towards her.

"Hey," she answers nonchalantly, glancing at him quickly with a small smile.

"So what are you?" Chuck asks, curiosity getting the best of him. She raises an eyebrow and stares at him like he's crazy. Chuck notices and clarifies, "occupation-wise."

"Oh," she laughs slightly, "I fix situations for the NCR."

"Can you be anymore cryptic?"

"I go undercover and persuade enemy factions to conform to the NCR way," Sarah clarifies carefully not to go into as much detail.

"So, you're like a spy?" Chuck's voice rises in hopeful excitement.

"I guess so," Sarah crooks her head in thought.

"That is so cool!" Chuck exclaims with a fist pump with both hands. Sarah has never genuinely smiled so often with the world being as shitty as it is now. She enjoys the enthusiasm her new companion shows.

"Looks like Chuck has a crush," Ellie whispers to Morgan comically. They both laugh. Chuck looks back to see them snickering secretively with their hands over their mouths. He darts them with his eyes and mouths 'what?' He turns back around to ignore them.

"So what does the NCR want with my parents?" Chuck asks Sarah.

"They believe they can fix the world, so to speak," Sarah answers apathetically.

"You don't sound hopeful."

"It is ridiculous to believe two people can create a device that makes grasslands appear instantly," Sarah argues with her hands in front of her. "No offense to your parents."

"No problem. That's what they think my parents could do?"

"Yea," she shakes her head in indifference.

"So, how close are we?"

"Do you ever stop with the questions?" Sarah asks with pure curiosity as her voice is louder than she wanted. Chuck feels blown off as Sarah didn't mean it as he was annoying because she has never talked to anyone so interested in everything.

"Sorry," Chuck shies away and averts his gaze from Sarah. "I just wanted to say thank you for all this," he mumbles and his smile turns into a sad frown as he looks at his own feet and slowly falls behind to stay out of her way.

Sarah feels bad now. She has never dealt with someone so fascinated about her or anything for that matter. It was always a cheesy come on or trying to get information. She forgot that they are from a vault and have no idea what's out there. She is having a dilemma, wondering if she should say sorry or just keep going. She turns around with a bright smile on her face.

"Chuck?" She asks sincerely. His lowered head shoots up fast enough to hurt his neck. His smile is ear to ear. "Can I ask you something?" He scurries to her side with his smile just as big. "What's it like living in vault?"

"You've never met someone who came from a vault?" Chuck asks.

"I have. They're just usually dead or dying."

"Oh, sorry," Chuck stretches his lower lip in awkwardness. "Well, it is way different. I mean there is no sun and all the water and food is clean. I guess it is kind of annoying being cooped up in a small space, but there were music tapes and movies."

"What are movies?"

"Movies? You've never heard of them?" He asks in total surprise. She narrows her eyes, thinking he is insulting her. "Sorry. They are like records of people acting that have a story."

"Like a theater?"

"Exactly, but these are recorded acts that you can watch anytime."

"Sounds cool," Sarah smirks, seeing how happy Chuck is now.

"I have a video on here if you want to see it," he points to his pip-boy.

"Sure," she smiles. He crosses his left arm across his body and in front of her so he is walking sideways almost. She holds onto his arm gently to keep it level and his hairs raise and he shivers slightly at her tantalizing touch. After the short video, she releases his arm. "That was amazing," Sarah exclaims, never seeing anything like that.

Chuck wants to reply with 'not as amazing as you' but keeps his inner thoughts quiet. "Yes it was," he sighs with the double entendre purposely. "This pip-boy can do some crazy things. It even has a map on it."

"That could be useful. Great, I've never got use one of those before."

"When we stop for a rest, I'll let you play around with it. I'm not even sure what the capabilities are, but it can do a lot."

"Sounds good. Are you hungry or thirsty?"

"A bit hungry, but I can wait." Chuck answers as Sarah nods. After a few seconds, Chuck speaks up again. "I really did want to thank you for all of this."

"It's no problem really."

"It is a problem. You've spent your hard earned money for our guns and clothing. If you ever need a favor, just let me know."

"You shouldn't be so trusting out here."

"You're the third person to say that and the third person to be nice to me. I'm starting to think people just say that to keep my expectations low," he quips.

"Really? I guess you found a lucky few people out here."

"I am definitely lucky to have met a few people," he smiles brightly at her, obviously talking about her. She smiles back at him.

"Hold up," Casey halts everyone. "We have some movement up ahead. Looks like a few wild Brahmin."

"We could strip them for meat," Sarah suggests.

"Good idea," Casey nods. "Lets move in." They shorten the distance to find three wild Brahmin mowing around aimlessly.

"Casey," Sarah orders him sincerely, "get some firewood. I'm going to teach them how to shoot a gun." Casey nods and disembarks from the team. "Alright, I want you to shoot it… in the head preferably, Chuck."

"What?" Chuck has never killed anything in his life except for that damn radroach.

"It isn't that hard. Just aim your gun at the head and fire," Sarah directs him calmly. Chuck looks at her with a furrowed brow and a slight frown on his face. "Here," she comes up behind him and places her arms along his, showing him how to aim the gun. "You alright?" She asks after feeling a major shiver in his whole body.

"Just never been touched by such a beautiful girl before," he answers before he knows what he just said. He scrunches his lips in embarrassment as she giggles slightly. "Sorry."

"That was sweet," she breathes onto his neck, only making him shiver more. "Aim the gun," her voice is filled with laughter as she raises his arms and aims the handgun for him. "Breath slowly and when you breath out, fire the weapon with two hands on the gun."

Chuck aims the gun with Sarah's arms along his and her chest against his back, making it hard for him to concentrate. "Alright…" he drawls as he starts to breathe slowly.

"Don't want to lose your thumb," she informs him. She slides his thumb down so it isn't on the slide of the gun.

"What?" He asks worriedly as he looks back at her with fear in his eyes.

"I'm joking," she smiles to diffuse his worry. "Just make sure not to have your thumb above the grip."

"Okay," he fixes his right thumb below the grip.

"Just one shot in the face should do it and don't worry about morals or anything. Survival is necessary," she informs him. He starts to squint his eyes and she could see his cheeks contract to close his eyes. "Don't close your eyes. You need to see what you're shooting," she laughs into his neck, causing warm breath to warm his shoulder and neck.

He aims his gun while trembling, having never taken a life before. The iron sights of the pistol are peering onto the Brahmin's head. He narrows his left eye as he aims with his right hand.

**BANG!**

The gun goes off as he squeezes the trigger. The bullet pierces the Brahmin's cheek and the animal falls to the ground lifeless.

"Great job!" Sarah exclaims as she shakes Chuck's shoulders gently.

"I did it!" Chuck jumps up and down in glee.

"Good job Chuck," Ellie cheers him on.

"That was sick!" Morgan joins in the happy occasion. "My turn next!"

"Alright," Sarah directs Morgan to aim at the next Brahmin. "Use the same tips I gave Chuck." Chuck feels a wave of jealousy as a scowl overtakes his happy expression and he backs away. Ellie can see the jealousy but disregards it.

Morgan misses the Brahmin and it freaks out and starts to run away before Sarah whips out her gun quickly and cripples it's hind legs so it can't move. Morgan finally kills it with a shot to the face, assassin-style; standing over the animal.

"Nice buddy," Chuck smiles, never being able to be angry at his best friend who left his parents and the sanctity of the vault for him.

"I'm getting a hang of it," Morgan exclaims with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Ellie?" Sarah asks if she is ready to kill the last Brahmin.

"No, no," Ellie protests with her hands up. "I can't kill a helpless animal."

"Trust me," Sarah laughs, "nothing is helpless unless it's dead."

"Ellie, Sarah's right," Chuck concurs. "We need to learn the basics of survival."

"It's the closest thing to beef too," Sarah smirks with one cheek higher than the other.

"Fine," Ellie pouts as she has Sarah help her shoot. Sarah steps behind Ellie and helps her aim the gun. Morgan's jaw drops and Chuck could have sworn he saw drool drip out.

"Really?" Chuck closes Morgan's mouth from under his chin. Morgan smiles childishly from ear to ear the rest of Ellie's training. Ellie, using her 'surgeon' hands to get a perfect kill right through the eye.

"Nice shot," Sarah muses.

"Natural born killer," Chuck jokes as Ellie looks frightened. He lays his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

"This part isn't so fun to watch," Sarah informs them as she pulls out a combat knife. Ellie is more fascinated than anything else, to Sarah's surprise. It's about the closest she's gotten to surgery since someone stabbed themselves with a knife a few years back in the vault. Chuck immediately sees this as a chance to charm Sarah.

"You need any help?" He asks with a big smile.

"I've done this plenty of times, but here," she hands him a secondary combat knife. He looks at the knife, lost in oblivion of what to do. She notices and lays her hand on his shoulder comfortably. "Just remove the skin with as little meat on it as possible." He smiles at her with uncertainty. "You'll get a hang of it," she chuckles slightly.

After the skinning, Sarah's side is smoothly done with very little meat on the skin. Chuck's side was erratic and jagged with ounces of meat still left on the skin. She glances at his side with raised eyebrows.

"Practice makes perfect," he quips and Sarah smiles at him.

"That is quite true," she agrees as she turns her head sideways in thought. "You start on that next one and I'll cut out some meat from this one."

A loud crash interrupts Sarah and Chuck a few minutes later. They both turn around to see Casey standing over several pieces of wood. "Got some wood, how's the carving going?" He asks.

"Well," Sarah answers quickly.

"Well?" Chuck asks in disbelief. "This is hard to do." Sarah and Casey both laugh.

"Wasteland virgins," Casey muses as he hands Morgan his knife to help Sarah and Morgan. Ellie steals the knife from Morgan and starts carving. Casey raises an eyebrow, surprised that the woman wants to get dirty. Morgan could care less as he stares at Ellie's ass as she kneels over the dead Brahmin. "I saw a small pond over there. I'll gather some water and we could purify it with a fire."

"Thanks Casey," Sarah smiles. She knows Casey isn't someone who likes company other than his Ranger buddies, but he is doing quite well with such ignorant unknowing people as vault dwellers.

**/**

**I hope people are enjoying this and not wondering what the hell is going on with the whole new universe and such.**

**Action is coming. I know this was more of a bonding chapter, but I had to establish the characters.**

**Please review with any obsessions from the game or complications that you would love to see the gang (sounds so Scooby-Doo-ish to say) go through. I have no idea where I'm taking this, but I hope all is well.**

**Please review…**


	3. Chuck Versus the Wasteland

**This story gets violent and may be a Mature rating.**

**I do not own Chuck or Fallout.**

**Thanks for the reviews so far.**

**/**

An hour later, everyone is sitting around the fire, eating the Brahmin meat they cooked over the fire using a thick twig to hang over the fire. Sarah, Chuck, and Ellie finished cutting up all the meat they can on the third Brahmin while Casey got a few bottles of irradiated water to purify using the heat of the fire.

"This is pretty good," Chuck garbles with a mouthful of food.

"You guys didn't really have meat in a vault, huh?" Sarah asks.

"Just some crappy instant Salisbury steak."

"How does that work?"

"Microwave."

"What's that?"

"It is an electrical cooker, I guess," Chuck explains looking over at Ellie and Morgan for confirmation.

"That would make everything so much easier," Sarah muses.

"But it would defeat the thrill of hunting," Casey comments with a grunt.

"That is kind of freaky," Chuck raises his eyebrows in mock fear.

"Humph," Casey grunts with amusement.

"We should take as much of this food as we can," Sarah suggests, knowing how difficult it is to find food in the wasteland.

"Fill this up," Casey tosses the bag in front of himself to show people.

"Good idea," Sarah gets up and starts filling the bag. Chuck helps her out immediately.

"How's that water contraption majigger doing?" Morgan asks, looking at the glass soda bottles cooking in the wake of the flame. There is a clear surgical tube inside the top of each and leads to another bottle not in the fire.

Casey inspects one of the bottles outside the flame and it is half full. "Pretty good," he replies.

"What happens if we get too irradiated?" Ellie asks.

"Death," Casey's voice is calm as the vault dwellers' eyes widen and they flinch. "Or worse."

"What's worse than death?" Ellie asks fearfully.

"Ghoulification," Casey quips. All three vault dwellers' eyebrows furrow in confusion. "A zombie?" Casey tries to see if they get what he is talking about.

"Like in the movies we used to watch?" Chuck asks, reminiscing on all the zombie movies they had inside the vault.

"Sure," Casey replies not really sure what a movie is; only getting bits of his conversation with Sarah earlier. "But they are still alive. No skin, no hair. They look pretty disgusting."

"Some are still good people though," Sarah contradicts Casey. "I've met a few who are more considerate than normal humans."

"Not much more than feral ones."

"Fu-fu-feral?" Morgan asks fearfully as his skin pales slightly.

"Yea, they attack everything on sight. The worst is when you have to touch their nasty skin… or what's left of it," Casey's nose scrunches at the thought. "It's all gooey and shit."

"They can be a problem—" Sarah starts to explain to calm the others down.

"But a bullet in the head will kill one," Casey finishes with a happy grunt as he polishes his handgun in front of them.

"That'll kill anything," Sarah quips with a quick cheeky smirk as she shakes her head.

"Except for super mutants; they have some tough-ass skin and such a small brain, you'll probably miss," Casey says laughably.

"Are they really stupid?" Ellie asks.

"Most are dumb as walls but they know how to fire a weapon and shoot first. Then shoot some more."

Sarah looks up at the sun and studies it. Chuck watches her intently for a few seconds before asking, "Whatcha looking at?"

"Checking the time of day," she answers simply.

"My pip-boy has the time on it," he shows her and she looks down at it and reads 1:46 pm.

"Wow, those things are more useful than I thought. I need to get one of those," she smiles slightly at Chuck and it makes his stomach flutter as it feels like the steak he just consumed is flying around in there. He smiles back. "We should get moving soon. We still have over thirty miles to go," she looks at the group and grabs her bloody knife. She wipes it clean, using the tan brown skin of the deceased Brahmin. Chuck grabs the other knife and does the same.

"Here," he hands her the knife.

"Keep it," she pushes his hand away gently. He puts it in a loop hole along the thigh of his pants.

They gather up all the meat and tools they have, douse the fire, and head out west towards New Angeles.

/

The sun has set as the group starts to get exhausted.

"We should probably set up camp soon," Sarah muses as she looks over to Chuck. "What time is it?"

"9:46," Chuck responds quickly after looking at his pip-boy.

"Yea, we should stop."

"Just off the road over there," Casey points to some rocks twenty feet from the torn-up, broken road they've been following for the whole day. They all set up by the rocks that lay around.

"Should we make a campfire?" Chuck asks.

"No, too risky," Casey answers calmly as he surveys the horizon around them.

"He's right. The flame could be seen from miles away," Sarah concurs as she opens her backpack. "Steak?"

"Sure," Chuck takes one and then everyone else grabs one right after.

"I'll take first post," Casey explains to Sarah. "I'll wake you up in four hours. Let the Vaulters sleep," he grunts with amusement.

"Thanks Casey," Sarah sits down and leans her back on a large rock. Everyone else sits down and Chuck sits right next to Sarah's left, against the same rock. He smiles gently at her. She returns the same smile to him. Morgan and Ellie pass out almost immediately as they have never exhausted so much energy in one day, walking about fifteen miles.

"Did you want to check out my pip-boy?" Chuck asks sincerely.

"You remembered?" She laughs.

"I don't forget promises I make," Chuck answers with triumph.

"I don't particularly remember you promising," she teases him.

"Fine," he pouts, "if you didn't want to see it, you could have just told me." He turns to look the other way, hoping for the desired effect of Sarah feeling bad. It worked like a charm as he heard her words.

"No, I do," she pleads as she places her left hand on his shoulder, feeling bad. Chuck smiles from ear to ear as he turns to look at her. "You did that on purpose!" She punches him playfully.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist," he quips as he reaches his left arm over so she can see the pip-boy. "It can do a lot. Look," he presses a few buttons and a cartoon image displays, "this shows all my vitals. If my heart rate drops too low or rises too high, it alerts me."

"Wow," Sarah looks in awe as he presses a few more buttons.

"Radio?" He asks with an impressed smile as he presses a button and it starts playing the station _California Hits_, a radio station it must have picked up at some point in the wasteland. The song _Feeling Good_ by Nina Simone calmly flows through the small camp. She smiles gently, allowing the music to soothe her. Chuck watches her intently as she closes her eyes and sighs. She laces her hands behind her head and lets the music flow through her. She has never had the luxury of listening to music. To Chuck, she has never looked so beautiful with the trace amounts of moonlight glimmering her left side; her golden hair shining celestially and her face a purplish-bluish shade.

After a minute of listening to music, Sarah shivers from the cold; abruptly opening her eyes and crossing her arms akimbo. Chuck, who had been smiling from ear to ear, thinking about the wondrous woman in front of him, notices her uncomfortable shiver. He sees her shiver, "Here" he wraps his arm around her shoulders and pulls her close to him. She looks at him with a furrowed brow as she flinches away. "For warmth, you know, body heat and all. I totally understand if you don't want to and all…" he clarifies by rambling helplessly and she stifles a laugh.

"Thanks," she smiles as she leans against him and molds her head into his shoulder and her shoulders in his chest.

His arms gently form around her and her left ear presses to his right shoulder. She feels the heat radiate from him and it soothes her. His heartbeat quickens slightly, but lulls her to sleep. He smiles as he rests his chin on her head.

/

About four hours later, Casey's eyelids start to get heavy as he slumps over his M4 rifle. He shakes his head vigorously to try to stay awake. He stands up to wake up Sarah, when he stops at the sight of her and Chuck. She is lying on Chuck's lap, her hair sprawled across his thighs. Chuck's arm is lying along her hip and he is actually smiling in his sleep.

"Walker," Casey reluctantly whispers; shaking Sarah slightly. In less than a second, her pistol is pressing against Casey's chin and her eyes are wide open. Casey raises an eyebrow at her and she eases the gun away.

"Sorry," she picks her head up and notices that she was lying on Chuck. "It's been four hours?"

"Yea. Sorry for disrupting your beauty sleep," Casey sardonically smirks very subtlety, only lifting the left side of his mouth for a millisecond. She gives him a tight-lipped smile as she stands up.

"More comfy than a rock," she muses with annoyance to deter any thoughts Casey may have of her liking Chuck. Casey sits down and lets the exhaustion put him to sleep.

Sarah sits there with her gun on her lap, seeing no signs of life or movement all around. She slouches as her mind drifts to her new companions, Chuck in specific. Her eyes study his sleeping form against the rock.

_Who is this Chuck Bartowski? Why is he so nice to me? There is something so different about him that just intrigues me. I just can't say no to him. Maybe it is because he is so innocent and not tainted from this horrid world. He seems to genuinely care about me. When he held me while I was cold felt like it was more than just for warmth. His heartbeat quickened as I laid my head against his chest. Friends are rare out here and he seems to be a true one already. I really enjoy how caring he is and I hope this hell doesn't change him._

/

"Casey," Sarah shakes his shoulder. "Wake up," she orders sincerely after approximately four hours and the sun starts to reveal itself.

"Ugh," he groggily grunts as his eyes flutter.

"I'll go wake everyone else up," she walks over to Morgan. "Morgan," she shakes him. "Wake up."

"Huh?" he barely speaks as his eyes slowly open. "What?"

"Wake up. We need to get moving."

"Oh, uh okay," Morgan slowly gets up and stretches with a long yawn.

"Wake up Chuck. I'll wake Ellie," Sarah goes over to Ellie as Morgan walks up to Chuck.

"Yo! Buddy!" Morgan shakes Chuck vigorously. "We need to wake up!"

"Not now Morgan," Chuck rejects him groggily while still stirring in his sleep.

"Lets go!" Morgan shakes him more.

"Dammit! I was having the best dream about this golden angel—" He stops when his eyes lay upon Sarah. "Sorry," he shakes his head and gets up. Sarah wakes Ellie up and they all stretch and head out.

/

They stay along the worn-out road, heading west. It has been a couple hours since waking up. Up ahead is a group of four raiders, walking along aimlessly, kicking the rocks at their feet. Casey holds everyone up, watching the raiders closely.

"Let them pass," he suggests as they all crouch down and wait.

"I think we should kill them," Sarah says with narrowed eyes and the taste of disgust in her mouth.

"It would be easier to let them pass," Casey argues, looking at her and seeing the hate in her eyes.

"Those fiends don't deserve to live," her voice has more venom in it.

"Sarah, are you alright?" Chuck asks with his hand gently on her shoulder.

"I'm fine," she spats as she shrugs his hand off her shoulder violently. Chuck steps back, seeing a whole new person that is fierce and hateful. "Cover me," she starts moving forward carefully with her gun aimed. Casey sighs and rolls his eyes as he scopes in with his rifle.

"Stay here," he orders the vault dwellers who obediently stay put. Sarah sneaks her way closer and closer, using rocks and trees as cover, if needed. She has been trained to be so light on her feet, that she could probably sneak all the way behind them and kill them in close range. Casey follows her movements, hiding behind each cover she leaves.

Sarah gets within twenty feet of the ignorant raiders and hides behind her cover. She looks back at Casey who gives her the go-ahead with a nod. He aims his gun over the rock and uses the rock as a stand. Sarah pulls out three throwing knives and stalks a little closer.

She throws the first knife and then goes into a full sprint. The trailing raider of the trio stops suddenly as the knife sticks into the back of his head. Sarah, still in full sprint, tosses the next knife. The knife whizzes through the air, piercing the back of the middle raider's neck. He makes a low gurgle noise and the front raider turns around to see his two friends dead on the ground. His eyes look up from the dead bodies to a flash of blonde and black.

Sarah, with the last throwing knife, spins so her back is to the last raider. She swings her arm back in a clockwise movement, penetrating the raider's chin from underneath. The knife goes through his jaw and into his mouth, piercing into his nasal cavities. The raider drops the gun as his life fades away quickly. The raider gurgles with blood flowing out of his mouth as his last sight before death is golden hair that flows so naturally in the wind. She turns to look at the deceased raider and pulls the knife out. It sprays a little bit of blood and a few specks attach to her left cheek. The body falls to the ground with no resistance to show any life left in it.

Casey and the vault dwellers catch up to Sarah, while she gathers her throwing knives, cleaning them off on the raiders' clothing. "Sarah?" Chuck asks worriedly as he cautiously steps up to her.

"That was awesome!" Morgan cheers from just behind Chuck.

"That was scary," Chuck places his arms on her shoulders and slowly turns her so they are facing eye to eye. His worried brown, loving eyes burrow into her soul through her sapphire eyes. She immediately feels a wave of calmness and sorrow take over her and her serious mask fades away to show slight worry.

"I'm sorry," she sheepishly smiles but it doesn't reach her eyes. "I don't know what came over me." Chuck wipes away the few specks of blood off her cheek. "Thanks," she smiles brighter and more genuine.

"Damn Walker," Casey is flabbergasted with raised eyebrows, "What the fuck did they do to you?"

"Nothing," she lies with anger still present.

"Sarah, I don't think anyone kills someone without a good reason," Chuck concurs with Casey.

"It was nothing," Sarah raises her voice slightly as she shrugs Chuck's hands off her shoulders aggressively and turns away. "Check the bodies for weapons and shit," her voice slowly calms down. Chuck lingers a stare at her, not sure how to approach her about it. He lets it slide as they all search the bodies.

They find twenty five bottle caps, a rusty 9mm pistol, and two combat knives. Sarah retrieves her throwing knives, cleans them off on the dead raiders' clothing, and holsters them.

They continue on their path with Sarah and Casey in front. Chuck is now afraid to talk to Sarah. She might just flip out like she just did and kill all of them.

/

Twenty minutes later, they come upon a destroyed office building that is littered with raiders. Casey stops everyone as he looks through his scope. "Shit!" he grunts in anger. "Those three you killed must've been a patrol."

"I wouldn't mind killing all of them tonight. Watch their movements and strike when they're sleeping," Sarah has a wicked smirk on her face that makes the vault dwellers flinch.

"Why do you hate raiders so much?" Casey asks, wanting to make sure her bloodlust doesn't get them all killed. He understands not liking them as no one does, but she has an incorrigible hate for them.

"They have no decency and kill innocent people for no reason," she answers while looking away from everyone. Casey can tell that they did something to her and doesn't know if it's a good idea to bring out her past.

Casey tells himself 'screw it' and asks her, "Did they rape you?"

"No!" She turns around with puffy eyes and stares deathly at Casey.

"Then what, Walker?" Casey holds his ground, seeing her slightly vulnerable. "I can't have you going off track and killing every raider we see."

She understands his concerns and calms herself down, rubbing her eyes quickly. "Sorry, I'll keep it under control. What do you propose we do?"

"Good," Casey nods at her change in mood. "I don't really see an easy way around them and think we should test out the newbies," he looks back at the three frightened vault dwellers.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea," Chuck stammers awkwardly in fear.

Sarah surveys the area and sees a boulder that would give Casey a good vantage point. She looks around some more and sees some rocks that would be perfect for an ambush. "Here's the plan," the all huddles up as she explains. "Casey, you perch up top that rock and start taking them out from a distance. You three will hide behind those rocks and fire when Casey gives you the signal. I'll sneak my way towards the camp and finish any remaining fiends."

Casey looks at his spot and then the vault dwellers' spot. "Good plan but you can't sneak in there alone."

"They're raiders. They're dumber than. I'll be fine," Sarah smiles reassuringly.

"I don't like this," Casey shakes his head reluctantly agreeing.

"Sarah," Chuck places a hand on her shoulder, "please be careful. I don't think I, or we could lose you," he looks into her eyes with hope and sadness.

"Don't worry," she gives him a bright smile. "I'm not gonna let some fiends finish off my family," she turns and heads into position, leaving Chuck in thought about that last statement. He repeats it in his head, wondering what she means.

"Let's go numb nuts," Casey pushes Chuck, breaking him out of his thought. The three vault dwellers hurry to their position as Casey climbs up on the boulder. He aims with his scope and sees six raiders huddled around a helpless woman, face down about 100 yards away in the middle of the camp. Her clothes are torn and she looks beaten and bruised. Casey removes his eye in disgust, before looking into the scope to find out which one deserves to die first.

Sarah gets into position, along with everyone else and looks over to Casey. She waves to let him know she is ready. He nods as he looks through the scope of his M4 and sees the six raiders. He sees two of them sitting down; three of them laughing as the last one is groping the woman on the ground sadistically, squeezing her ass while the woman has totally given up. "The last thing you never see," he mumbles the motto of the First Recon as he holds his breath and aims on the perverted man's hand.

A slightly muffled bang erupts as a bullet tears the raider's right arm off, blood spraying on the two raiders sitting behind him. The detached hand is still gripped on the woman's ass as Casey squeezes off another shot. The raider leans back and opens his mouth to scream in pain as that second bullet hits the top of his mouth, spraying blood and brain matter a few feet behind him. The remaining raiders scramble around, not knowing what just happened.

Another bullet tears one of the panicking raiders jaw off as he falls to the ground. The two who were sitting down are finally standing up racing towards where they heard the gunfire come from with the other two right behind them. He fires a burst of 5.56 bullets into the front raider's chest, dropping her to the ground, lifelessly. The last three scurry around in fear and Casey gives the vault dweller's the signal by giving them a thumbs up.

From their rock, thirty yards closer than Casey, they pop up with their guns ready and see the three raiders looking around with horror on their face. The three vault dwellers fire erratically, never having any weapons training. One of the raiders is hit and falls to the ground as they fire at the next until they run out of ammo. They all hide behind the cover, not sure how to reload their guns.

Casey aims on one of the raiders carefully calculating where the raider will be when his bullets reach that far. Another burst from his gun and the raider drops to the ground, dead. The last raider looks around with fear laced through his whole body language as he just fires his assault rifle errantly in the vault dweller's position, hitting the rock they are behind a few times. The vault dwellers freak out slightly as they stay put dodging invisible bullets from their seated positions.

"Where are you?" The last raider screams in fear, scared out of his mind. His whole team just got mowed down by ghosts, at least that's what he'd say if he lived to tell the tale. Casey watches him through his scope while the vault dwellers stay down after expending a whole clip in their guns.

Through Casey's scope, he sees Sarah sneak behind the raider with her combat knife ready to strike; the knife upside-down with the blade protruding under her right fist. "Goodbye," Casey muses with a grunt as Sarah gets right behind the raider. She quickly wraps her left arm around the man's head and stabs him in the heart with the knife. She twists the raider's neck with her left arm jerking it unnaturally until it cracks and removes the knife. Blood sprays slightly from the abrupt removal of the knife as the raider dies before he hits the ground. Sarah proceeds to wipe her knife off on the body's clothing.

She sees the crippled raider twenty yards away that the vault dwellers had shot at. She pulls out her Colt 1911 and fires a single bullet through his head that ends the raider's misery. She gives a thumbs-up to Casey, letting him know he can move from his post.

Casey gathers the vault dwellers and heads over to Sarah. "They had a hostage. We should make sure she's alright," Casey informs her as they head for the raider campground. Sarah grimaces at the thought of what raiders probably did. Thoughts of a torso with the limbs torn off of it flash through her mind. They are the most sadistic of all people in the wasteland who have no morals or sympathy. Most of them are psychotic, drugged out monstrosities in human form.

Casey gets to the woman, making sure there aren't anymore raiders. After seeing the coast is clear, check's the woman's pulse. She is still alive but badly beaten. She has signs of being raped and her clothes are torn, revealing her undergarments. "Fucking basterds!" Casey growls as the rest of the group look in somber.

"Is she stable enough to carry? There's an NCR outpost a few miles south of here," Sarah informs Casey, seeing how hard he is taking it. She is just as angry if not more for what they have done, but is bottling it for the purpose of the task at hand.

"I think so," Casey goes to lift the woman's facedown body.

"Wait!" Ellie stops them and kneels over the woman. Ellie uses what she's learned from the vault to assess the injuries. Ellie turns the woman over slowly to see her face stained with tears, dirt, and blood. Her stare is blank, not knowing what to do and barely able to move. "It's okay. We're here to help," Ellie cleans off her face. Ellie prods gently at the woman's bruises, checking for broken bones and such. The woman cringes when she feels pain.

Ellie comes to the conclusion that there aren't any broken bones and it is just bruising. She starts for the woman's underwear to check for rape, but the woman closes her legs and squirms in fear. "It's okay," Ellie whispers and the woman slowly eases up. "You guy's should turn around," Ellie orders everyone else to give the woman some privacy. They all scatter to scavenge what they can from the dead raiders while giving Ellie and the woman privacy.

/

The team scavenged some horribly conditioned assault rifles and stored them in a bag, about a hundred caps, and some bullets. The team heads to the NCR outpost that Sarah mentioned; Casey is carrying the raped and beaten woman on his back, her arms and legs wrapped around his neck and waist respectively.

**/**

**I hope this wasn't too traumatizing to anyone and I tried to keep it from getting too gory or demented. If you've ever played the game, it is quite light on the traumatizing department and I know in real life, it would be way worse. This story is Mature rated after all.**

**If someone could let me know if this needs to be rated Mature, please let me know because I am not quite sure.**

**Please review with anything you would love to see in the story.**


	4. Chuck Versus the Frankensteins

**This chapter is going to have some violent situations and gore. Just a warning for all you young Chuck fans.**

**I present to you this chapter to keep your blood flowing until Monday night; the most awesome looking episode to date with Sarah being the ultimate badass on a vengeance.**

**I do not own Fallout or Chuck, sadly.**

**Thanks for the reviews so far. This story is kind of a side project that has intrigued me. I am making this into a full story and once "Chuck Versus the New Enemy" is finished, I will devote my time to this.**

**/**

They arrive to the NCR outpost, being a few miles south just like Sarah had said. A soldier with a sniper trained on them, frightens the vault dwellers but the two veterans just continue with the vault dwellers cautiously hiding behind them. Sarah waves to show them she is NCR and the sniper relaxes. A soldier walks up to greet them.

"Sarah Walker," Sarah puts her hand to her forehead to salute.

"Sergeant Wilkes, what brings you here?" The man introduces himself, only to see Sarah glance at the woman on Casey's back. "Infirmary is just to the right," the Sergeant informs as they pass him by quickly, registering Casey as NCR with the armor on. They head into the outpost, going straight to the infirmary to check the woman in to get medical help. The woman squeezes onto Casey, frightened to let anyone else touch her as they try to pry her off gently.

Sarah and the vault dwellers go to the bar while Casey makes sure the woman gets medical attention. Because of Sarah's credentials and Casey's fame and all the weapons they scavenged, they are allowed to stay for free and get whatever equipment they need.

"What are you all drinking?" Sarah asks across the bar counter to the three vault dwellers. All three of them are sitting at adjacent stools from left to right: Sarah, Chuck, Morgan, and Ellie.

"Water?" Chuck asks unsurely.

"Water," Morgan follows.

"Uh-huh," Ellie agrees.

"Humph," Sarah smirks as she looks at the bartender. "Looks like a water for each of them. I'll take a scotch." The bartender quickly pours them their drinks and gives them out.

"Is scotch good?" Chuck asks, curiosity getting the best of him.

"Try it," she nonchalantly slides the glass across the counter towards Chuck. He takes the glass and smells it. His nose cringes at the distinct alcoholic aroma. Sarah grins as he reluctantly takes a sip. He immediately gags at the first drop that touches his tongue and almost purges.

"Bad decision?" Morgan quips with raised eyebrows and a smile at Chuck's discomfort.

"That stuff is so nasty," he places the glass down abruptly while gagging and clawing for his glass of water. Sarah laughs heavily at his discomfort. "How do you drink that?" He slides the glass back over.

"It grows on you," she smiles brightly, showing her white teeth in the smile. She grabs the glass and takes a swig. She swallows hard as Chuck's eyes widen at the amount she just swallowed.

"Don't get too drunk then. I don't think the people here like us," Chuck leans in to whisper into her ear.

"Why?" She asks curiously.

"Because I have no idea where we are staying and if I'm forced to carry you, we'll both be screwed," Chuck smiles sheepishly with his teeth showing on the right side of his mouth.

Sarah laughs loudly as she pats his shoulder. "You're funny Chuck. I like that. That's a rare trait I hope you don't lose over time like most people." Chuck revels in her touch and compliment, almost moaning in content.

"Thanks… I guess," Chuck answers half-heartedly.

"It's a good thing and don't let this world change you," she explains like it is an ultimatum. Chuck grins with all his teeth showing. "Let's go check out the armory," Sarah grabs his arm and lets her hand slide down to his hand as she gets farther away. Chuck obediently follows and Ellie and Morgan follow too.

/

They step into the armory that is full of different guns. To no surprise, Casey is there cleaning his M4 rifle while admiring the weapons before him. Sarah walks up to him with the vault dwellers right behind her. "How are people treating an ex-Ranger?" Sarah asks with an amused smile.

"Just fine," he glances up quickly before going back to managing his gun.

"How's the woman?" Ellie asks in a hush tone.

"She'll be fine in a day or two," Casey continues to wipe his gun down with the buffering towel he's been using.

"That's good to hear," Ellie lets herself smile for the first time while thoughts of the woman circulate in her head.

"When do you want to move out?" Sarah asks Casey.

"I think we should rest up here till tomorrow. Stock up on food and water and sleep in a real bed," Casey grunts as he looks up to all the weapons. "Maybe take a few of these babies," he lets himself smile, which is a rare occasion.

"I'm not gonna find you fucking your gun one night, am I?" Sarah quips after seeing him smile for the first time since watching him kill an enemy.

"I'm not gonna find you fucking the vaulter, am I?" Casey retaliates with a rare snorting laugh. Sarah blushes quickly but phases it well from all her training. Chuck's eyes pop out of his skull and his eyebrows almost fall off at the surprise as his skin turns beet red. He would love that, not that he'd ever say anything. The other vault dwellers curl their lips in the form of saying 'what' and their brows rise.

Sarah laughs humorlessly. "Really Casey?" She asks incredulously and rhetorically as she shakes her head. "Anyways…" she raises her voice, "we'll stock up here and head out tomorrow morning then." She turns around to look at the three vault dwellers and asks, "Are any of you hungry?"

"I'm famished," Chuck smiles as he rubs his stomach. He luckily got over that awkward comment Casey had just said.

"I'm definitely hungry," Morgan looks down at his grumbling stomach.

"I can eat," Ellie replies with a gentle smile.

"Sounds good," Sarah turns back around to look at Casey. "If you ever finish polishing your wife, we'll be at the cafeteria," Sarah turns on her heels, knowing she got the last insult in as she leads everyone out with a grin plastered to her face and a bounce in her step. Casey grunts as he continues polishing his gun.

/

Sarah and the vault dwellers are filling up on food and water so their hunger goes away and they stay hydrated. An alarm blares throughout the cafeteria and they scramble out to see all the soldiers creating a garrison at the west entrance.

"What's going on?" Chuck asks fearfully.

"Stay put," Sarah demands as she rushes to the garrison. She runs up to the Captain, who controls the troops in the outpost. "What's going on sir?"

"Group of super mutants are heading this way," the Captain responds. Sarah sees the name tag on his chest, reading: Braggs.

"What can I do to help?" Sarah asks confidently.

"Get to the armory, grab a gun and wait for my order!" Braggs orders her. She immediately rushes for the armory. Chuck hurries to catch up with her as she gets inside. She grabs an M14 carbine rifle and turns around to almost running right into Chuck.

"What's going on?" Chuck asks hastily.

"What are you doing here?" She asks, with anger present in her voice.

"I want to help," Chuck demands with conviction, looking into her eyes with truth.

"Fine," she grunts, not willing to argue at the moment. She turns around and grabs an assault rifle and some ammo. "Here," she hands him the gun and ammo, "we got some super mutants to kill," she smirks devilishly as they rush out the armory doors. They get outside where fifteen NCR soldiers are garrisoned in different positions, aiming down the road.

Sarah gets into a position on top of the west-most building and sets up behind some sandbags. Chuck gets right next to her, ready to fire his gun. They wait patiently for a few minutes, not seeing anyone coming.

"Are you sure they're here?" Chuck asks, raising his eyebrows.

"Look," she hands him her gun with a scope on it. He peers through it to see eight husky beasts that are puke green color with shoulder armor and some nasty looking scowls on their faces.

"What the hell?" Chuck flinches in disbelief.

"Ugly mother fuckers," Casey chimes in, startling Chuck. "Damn frankensteins," Casey mumbles under his breath.

"What—"? Where—?" Chuck stammers in confusion of Casey's appearance.

"Think I'm gonna miss this?" Casey deadpans as he aims his gigantic sniper down the road, towards the super mutants. "Get ready to shoot. If they get closer, we'll get the signal from Captain Braggs."

"How do you know they're evil?" Chuck asks.

"We don't but—" Sarah starts before Casey finishes her statement.

"You'd rather shoot first, ask questions later. Trust me," Casey speaks with truth.

"He's right," Sarah concurs to further diminish Chuck's discomfort, "you don't want to chance something like that."

The super mutants, all holding assault rifles and super sledges on their backs except for the one in front, who has more armor that distinguishes it from the rest. It is holding a minigun like it's a pistol; the gun not weighing down the super mutant at all.

"Get ready soldiers!" Braggs' voice readies them for the attack. The super mutants start to pick up speed and get to a full sprint.

"Come on," Casey scratches his trigger finger on the trigger, getting anxious to kill. The super mutants are now only 100 yards away and are closing in fast. They are stronger, bigger, and faster than humans and each lunge they take is five feet.

"Fire!" Braggs' voice directs them. A loud bang erupts next to Chuck, making him flinch as he jumps away from Casey. Casey's sniper fires a giant bullet that soars through the air, splitting the heavier armed super mutant's skull off. The head visibly explodes from the huge impact of the gigantic bullet and the body back flips onto the neck and rolls onto its chest.

Gunfire erupts all around Chuck and from the whole barricade that the NCR formed. The seven super mutants don't cower at all from seeing the first one's head burst in front of them. They fire their guns erratically at the barricade as one gets cut down by bullets at a time. Chuck watches, freezing up from all the gunfire as each super mutant falls to the ground sequentially.

Three remain as they get through the gates. Another succumbs to the pain of hundreds of bullets hitting it. Two remain as they rush straight for the first NCR soldier they see. One of the super mutants fires, annihilating one of the soldiers by littering multiple bullets into the soldier's chest; only being ten feet from him. The other one pulls out a giant melee weapon while Chuck watches in horror. It is a steel shaft with steel protrusions sticking out of the end in a hammer shape.

The super mutant with the hammer swings it like a golf club, knocking another soldier six feet into the air and falling ten feet away. Chuck's eyes widen in horrification. The one with the assault rifle finally dies after Casey fires a bullet from his mini cannon and tears the super mutant's right shoulder off; the super mutant flipping into mid-air from the force and landing on its back.

The last super mutant weathers the bullets puncturing its skin as it runs as fast as it can for the next enemy it sees. Ellie and Morgan are both hiding behind a destroyed car thirty feet away. Ellie's head is peering through the empty window of the passenger seats. The mutant locks eyes with her and she stands up, stepping backwards slowly in fright.

"Ellie!" Chuck yells as loud as he can in fear. Ellie doesn't hear anything as all of her senses are frozen in fear from the monstrosity staring her in the eyes. All firing from the soldiers stops because the soldiers are worried of hitting Ellie from their positions.

The super mutant hesitates for a slight second before rushing towards her. Ellie shrieks as she watches the super mutant intently, frozen with fear. The super mutant jumps onto the car, crushing the hood with its heavy force; only five feet from Ellie. Morgan crawls to the other side of the car, hiding from sight. A loud cannon rings through the outpost. The bullet pierces the back of the super mutant's skull, penetrating through its skull and into its jaw. The super mutant's jaw flies off from its head and the teeth shatter, spreading in a radial pattern. A few pester Ellie as she covers her face with her left arm, turning away. The body of the super mutant does a front flip, landing with its feet at Ellie's; blood pouring out of the now removed jaw.

Chuck runs as fast as he can to get to Ellie. She slowly drops her arm to look at the bloody mess, a nine foot, green body lying in front of her. Chuck sprints and lifts her into a bone crushing hug. "Oh thank god you're alright!" Chuck exclaims with his arms wrapped around her.

"Wha…?" Ellie is still speechless at what just happened. The head just exploded in front of her. "What the hell?"

"It's alright," Chuck tries to comfort her. "You're safe now," he breathes heavily in relief, still refusing to let go of her.

"What the hell is that thing?" She finally wakes from her paralyzed daze.

"It's dead now. Don't worry."

"I'm okay Chuck," she tries to get him to release the hug. Chuck reluctantly lets go and Morgan dives onto Ellie, hugging her just as hard as Chuck.

"Ellie! We thought we lost you!" Morgan exclaims as Ellie looks down at him with a furrowed brow because he is sniffing her arm.

"Alright, alright," she tries to gently pry Morgan off of her but he doesn't let go. "Enough!" She forces Morgan off of him.

"Sorry," Morgan backs away slightly.

"Ellie, are you alright?" Sarah hollers as she comes jogging up.

"Yea, I'm fine, I think," Ellie looks down at her body and checks for any injuries.

Casey holds his gun up in the air with one hand as he walks down from his post. "That's some of the best shooting I've ever seen," Captain Braggs muses with gratitude.

"Humph," Casey grunts, meaning 'no problem.'

"Thank god you were here. That could have gotten messy," Braggs says in relief, knowing Casey is an ex-First Recon Ranger.

"Just doing my job," Casey nods to the Captain and heads over to the vault dwellers.

Casey walks up to them and Chuck turns to him with relief and gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you, thank, thank you, thank you!" Chuck exclaims as lunges to hug Casey.

"You better not hug me," Casey warns with beady eyes and a slight shake of his head, causing Chuck to stop in mid-stride. Ellie races past Chuck and throws her arms around Casey and squeezes.

"Thank you so much Casey!" Ellie squeezes tighter and Casey actually feels the air releasing from his lungs as her hug is way stronger than he expected.

"Just doing my job," he responds nonchalantly.

"I know but thank you for saving my life," she lets go of him with tears in her eyes. She wipes them away with her palms.

They spent the rest of the day resting. Ellie decided to help out the injured soldiers, getting over the initial shock of almost being brutally beaten to death. The soldier who got hit by the hammer broke three ribs and punctured his lung. He also hurt his spine from the force of the hammer impact. He was able to survive with all the surgery they did on him. He was lucky that the impact wasn't against his chest or his sternum would have shattered and pierced his heart, killing him instantly.

Chuck, Morgan, Casey, and Sarah relaxed at the bar for a little while before getting some much needed rest.

The next morning, the group meets at the armory to stock up on supplies. Casey gave all the crappy assault rifles they acquired from raiders to be stripped for parts. The NCR were grateful and that, plus Sarah and Casey's fame, elicits them to take whatever they need for their travel. Casey, obviously getting there early, has been fingering through all the different weapons. He had the hard decision of a sniper rifle or an Anti-material rifle.

"What are thinking about?" Sarah asks Casey.

"If we have these three vaulters, then why not take advantage of them?" Casey responds cryptically as he continues to rummage through the weapons.

"What do you mean?"

"We use them as pack mules," Casey smirks subtly out of one side of his mouth.

"That doesn't sound too fun," Chuck speaks up nervously.

"If you three would learn how to kill someone, then I would revise my decision but each of you unloaded a clip on that raider yesterday and only clipped him."

"Chuck, he does have a point. Ammo is scarce and you guys cannot just waste a clip on one enemy," Sarah looks at all of them.

"We do suck with the guns," Morgan contorts his mouth, hoping to not get backlash from Chuck or Ellie.

"I never wanted a gun in the first place," Ellie complains remembering the oath she made as a doctor to never harm someone.

"Fine," Chuck breathes out, "what do you need us to carry?" As he finishes the question, Casey shoves a giant rifle into Chuck's chest.

"Here," Casey snorts as Sarah drops her shoulders in disbelief.

"Really?" She looks at Casey as Chuck struggles to wrap the heavy gun behind him with the strap.

"A .308 bullet may cripple, but a .50 cal severs," Casey answers nonchalantly as he opens up a box of ammo.

"Fine," she gives up on arguing and turns to Chuck. "You got that, Chuck?" Sarah turns to him to make sure he can carry it alright.

"This little thing?" He scoffs as it slides off his shoulder and he fumbles it back on.

"Uh-huh," Sarah deadpans as she twists her mouth in a tight-lipped smile.

"Is this the cannon you saved Ellie with?" Chuck asks while struggling to get the strap around his shoulders. "The gun that nearly destroyed my ear drums?"

"Anti-material rifle," Casey smirks at Chuck. "Penetrates walls from a mile away." Chuck stretches his lower lip in fear. He already got a good preview as it tore the super mutants to pieces.

"We should get some food and water for the trip, but first I'm going to have to get a bigger gun," she walks over to the assault rifles and starts inspecting them.

"That's the spirit Walker," Casey fills some clips full of .50 caliber bullets.

/

They set out on their way west to New Angeles again. Sarah and Casey are in front. Sarah has an M14 carbine rifle on her back and her trusty pistol. Casey has his M4 on his back, his modified pistol, and some binoculars to scan the area ahead of him. He secretly has the binoculars so Sarah can spot him while he uses his baby, the Anti-material rifle he rightfully named Candy because it is sweet and deadly. Chuck has Candy along his back with his pistol holstered. Morgan has a backpack full of bottles of purified water and food. Ellie has a small bag on that holds some medical equipment like gauze, stimpaks, and disinfectants. All three vault dwellers got some new armor to protect themselves. They are thin, leather scouting armors with the NCR logo along the chest; made to be light but still protective. Sarah decided she would rightfully don her Veteran Ranger armor; distinctive black riot armor and a brown duster coat. Only the elitist of the elite are allowed to wear this armor.

/

After a couple miles, Casey sees a makeshift shack obstructing their path half a mile away through the binoculars. He halts everyone's march as he looks closer. He sees a pack of nightstalkers roaming over a dead body. "A pack of nightstalkers," he informs them.

"And what is that?" Chuck asks.

"A coyote with the bite of a rattlesnake," Sarah informs the vault dwellers. They all flinch in fear.

"Nasty little fuckers. Always stick together. Let me see that," Casey sticks his hand out for Candy. Chuck lugs it off his shoulders and hands it to Casey. "This will be fun," he smirks as he aims into the scope.

"Wouldn't they only come out at night if they are called nightstalkers?" Ellie asks harmlessly, thinking the most logically about it.

"They must have just killed their prey," Sarah tells him.

Casey aims through the scope, the reticule aimed on the head of one of the six animals. Sarah takes the binoculars to spot him. She looks through to see the six animals and the dead body. Casey kneels on the ground to level his rifle better and increase his precision.

"Looks like they are about 400 yards away," Sarah informs Casey as a spotter. "There's wind coming from the northwest," Sarah sees some tumbleweed tumble across and concludes about the wind's direction.

"I have it," Casey tells her as he aims about two feet above and three feet to the right of the animal's head.

**BOOM!**

The rifle fires with a piercing sound that rivals a cannon. The .50 caliber bullet emerges from the mushroom flame the gun produced, escaping the barrel. The gun pulls back as it recoils from the shot.

Sarah watches carefully as she sees the bullet tear through the nightstalker's cheek, forcing the animal to take into the air. The animal flies ten feet back and the rattlesnake-like head lands four more feet back; the head tearing clean off from the neck.

"Direct hit," Sarah muses as she sees the feet twitch slightly. The rest of the animals scatter in fear of the loud noise. "Looks like you spooked them," Sarah laughs as she puts down the binoculars. Casey pulls back the bolt on the rifle to dispense the shell.

"Let me see," Casey takes the binoculars from her and hands his rifle to Chuck. Chuck grabs it and lugs it back onto his back, ready to continue.

They scavenge the shack, not finding anything of use. It was most likely a wanderer's shack before those nightstalkers made a meal out of him. "Poor guy didn't have a chance," Sarah muses about the torn and bitten body.

"There's nothing we can do," Casey informs him. "Lets keep moving," they keep west from the shack.

**/**

**I hope there was enough action in this chapter. I know not everything lines up perfectly with the actual games but I had to skew it to make this story work.**

**If you think this needs to be Mature rated, let me know in a review because I am not quite sure if this counts (depends on your imagination). **** Yea, I made a smiley face.**

**Please review, especially if you have any ideas you want to see from the games in this story.**


	5. Chuck Versus the Extracurricular Mission

**Gets a bit gory so shield your kid's eyes if necessary.**

**I do not own Chuck or Fallout.**

**Sorry for the really late update, but I was focused on my other story. Now that story is done and I can devote more of my time writing this one.**

**Thank you for the reviews so far.**

**/**

The group continues on their march towards New Angeles, marching along the wasteland. It's been pretty tranquil since taking out the nightstalker. The sun is now at its peak and the rays are causing sweat to form a layer of musk over each of them.

"Ugh, it is so hot," Morgan complains as they continue moving.

"Deal with it," Casey grunts.

"I see movement ahead," Sarah says as she puts the binoculars to her eyes. "Shit!"

"What is it Walker?" Casey asks.

"Brotherhood," she answers with grimace.

"How many?"

"I see three. Must be a patrol. They're walking right towards us."

"Damn, we need to take cover or take a different route."

"Excuse me?" Chuck instinctively raises his hand. "What is Brotherhood?"

"The Brotherhood of Steel," Sarah explains. "Their power armor is bullet resistant."

"Why don't we just talk to them?"

"They hate NCR," Casey answers, "and if you didn't notice, we're all wearing NCR armor."

"Why don't we just tell them we mean no harm?" Chuck asks.

"They don't tip their hats gingerly and ask 'how do you do' to NCR," Casey deadpans. "Trust me when I say you don't want to fuck with them."

"He's right," Sarah concurs with Casey. "They don't very much care for anyone but themselves. That and technology."

"Really?" Chuck asks, now intrigued because he has always enjoyed technology.

"Chuck," she looks into his eyes to convey her message, "they are not good people. They will kill you before you can tell them you're not NCR."

"Why not just take them out with the giant cannon on Chuck's back?" Morgan asks.

"First of all," Casey puts up a finger in Morgan's face, "they are trained soldiers who can actually shoot a weapon. Second," he raises another finger moving into Chuck's face, "if they get close enough, none of these guns can penetrate their armor. And third," he puts one more finger up in front of both of them, "I don't feel like dying today from energy weapons."

"Uh okay…" Chuck steps back a bit.

"I'm sorry I asked," Morgan sheepishly

"It's alright, we should move before they notice us," Sarah suggests calmly.

"Finally…" Casey sighs under his breath as they start north to get away from the Brotherhood's path. They trek for a few minutes, staying north for at least half a mile to be safe.

"Hey," Morgan speaks up, "what are energy weapons exactly?"

"They're guns that shoot lasers and plasma bolts," Sarah explains.

"That sounds awesome! Just like the comics we read!" Morgan exclaims as he bumps Chuck.

"Well they burn like a bitch. That shit is deadlier than a deathclaw," Casey grunts. "It is like a thousand degrees burning through your skin. It is not pretty."

"Why don't you use one then?" Chuck asks harmlessly after his description makes him think they are top-of-the-line.

"I'm not a bitch," Casey chides. Chuck furrows his brow, not sure what Casey is getting at. "That shit takes out all the fun of watching your enemy die," Casey laughs slightly. "I especially love when blood spurts out like a fountain. It is way more interesting than a pile of ash or goo."

"That is very… uh… sentimental of you," Chuck quips, eliciting a quiet chuckle from Sarah.

"What's a deathclaw then?" Ellie asks, wanting to know what they may have to deal with.

"You don't want to know," Casey answers grimly while shaking his head and heading up a hill.

"Ellie," Sarah explains, "they are giant beasts with claws that can slice through even the thickest of armors. Oh, and their fast as fuck."

"They're like ten feet of pure grotesque nastiness," Casey chimes in. "They're bigger, stronger, faster, and stay in packs."

"So avoid them at all costs?" Ellie asks with a slight tinge of fear.

"That's putting it nicely," Sarah quips.

"Lets just say I'd rather go against ten super mutants then one of those," Casey says as he comes to a complete stop at the top of the hill.

"What is it?" Sarah asks as she looks over the hill Casey stopped at the top of.

"Speak of the devil," he deadpans.

They are standing at the top of a mile long valley full of deathclaws. There are packs of them walking along aimlessly at the bottom of the valley.

"This must be a crater," Sarah muses as the ground all around is charred and browned.

"Looks like we head back down," Casey turns around and starts declining down the hill.

"What about the Brotherhood guys?" Chuck asks.

"I'd rather deal with three of them then fifty deathclaws," Casey answers as he continues down the hill with everyone right behind him.

"We'll head west from here and stay on this side of the crater," Sarah instructs.

"Sounds good," Casey muses as they march along the hill.

/

A few miles later, they are continuing their trek to New Angeles. They found the road again and are following it after safely evading the deathclaws and Brotherhood of Steel.

"Hey!" Ellie exclaims as she points ahead.

"What is it?" Sarah asks as she pulls the binoculars to her eyes.

"Buildings!"

"Looks like you're right," Sarah says as she hands the binoculars to Casey. "Do you know what town it is?"

I don't see a sign. It looks like a small settlement," Casey muses as he looks in the binoculars.

"It's not marked on my pip-boy," Chuck informs everyone, trying to be helpful.

"We should check it out, but keep your gun ready," Sarah instructs as they continue moving.

/

They get to the outskirts of the city and there is a guard waiting. "Hey!" The guard shouts angrily.

"Hello," Sarah greets him.

"Whatcha doin' here?" the guard's voice is filled with hatred.

"We're just passing by."

"Not with 'dem guns you ain't!"

"We're not here to cause trouble," Casey says as he slowly raises his hands and walks towards the guard.

"Don't you move!" The guard shouts, causing Casey to halt.

"We mean no harm," Sarah says, stepping next to Casey with her hands also up.

"Law says I gotta let ya'll in, but I'm a be watching ya'll! All of ya'll!"

"Thanks," Sarah says as Casey grunts and narrows his eyes. They all head into the small settlement to be greeted by a woman in her early forties with sandy blonde hair and green eyes.

"Hello ya'll! I'm Brianne!" The woman greets them with a friendly smile.

"Hello, I'm Sarah," Sarah waves. "This is Casey, Chuck, Morgan, and Ellie."

"Well welcome to our small community! If you have any questions, feel free to ask." She still has the same smile that shows how friendly she is. "We have a little trader outpost over there," she points off to her left. "There's a doctor over there," she leans in close and blocks a side of her mouth to whisper the secret, "His prices are a little steep."

"Thanks," Ellie smiles from ear to ear.

"Yea, no prob."

"Is there somewhere we can get some food and water?" Chuck asks.

"Right behind me is the kitchen. Good food, cheap prices," Brianne's smile still doesn't falter.

"I have to ask," Morgan speaks up. "What is up with that smile? You look so happy."

"It's rare we get folk like ya'll here. Actually it's rare we get anyone!"

Thank you for everything," Sarah nods.

"Again, no prob," Brianne nods as she mockingly shoos them away and walks away.

"Let's rest up for an hour and grab some food and water," Casey instructs as he heads towards the kitchen.

/

About an hour later and after they've rehydrated and filled up on food, they pack up and get ready to continue their mission.

"Uh," a worried man taps Casey on the shoulder, "you're NCR right? I um… I…"

"Spit it out," Casey growls at the man.

"They took my daughter! Please! You have to help!"

"Who did?" Chuck asks.

"Slavers! We were out in the fields when they came and took her! Please!" The man is erratic and worried, trembling with fear.

"We have to do something!" Chuck exclaims.

"We don't have time for this," Casey clenches his teeth.

"Please," Chuck looks to Sarah," Sarah, we can't let them do that."

Sarah finds herself at a dilemma now. She feels horrible for this father whose daughter was kidnapped, but she has her mission. If she neglects this father, she feels like she is betraying Chuck, but why should she care about that when she has her mission? Mission always came first to her, but this is the first time she actually feels some guilt and the urge to help this man.

"Do you know where they took her?" Sarah asks the father.

"You're not seriously considering this Walker," Casey's eyes widen slightly.

"They carried her south of here! Please help her! She's only sixteen!"

"Damn," Sarah slides her hair back from her forehead with her right hand. _That is not good._ "Do you have an idea where the slavers' camp is?"

"I think it's about a mile south of here! They come by once in a while but never caused trouble before. I think it's because of the guards we have here," the father is ready to go to his knees if he has to keep begging.

"We have to do something!" Chuck looks at Sarah expectantly.

"Fine," Sarah says in a huffed breath. "We'll try to save your daughter."

"Ugh," Casey rolls his eyes. "We better move then."

"Thank you so much! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" The worried father mutters in relief. "I'll pay you anything you want!"

"Lets move!" Casey orders as he pulls his M4 rifle from his back.

/

They briskly walk south for about three quarters of a mile. They should be coming up on the slaver camp in less than a quarter mile.

"Thank you Sarah," Chuck quickly says.

"For what?" She looks at him.

"For doing this. I know you have your mission to find my parents but you are willing to help a stranger in need."

"I'm not a complete monster, you know," Sarah quips as she smiles at Chuck. Chuck feels butterflies in his stomach when he sees that smile of hers and smiles back to her.

"We got movement," Casey informs them as he looks through the binoculars. "Looks like the camp is just ahead."

"We need to get closer," Sarah says as she quickens her pace, everyone else on her tail.

Sarah takes the binoculars from Casey and surveys the camp. It is a group of three shacks with some cages that house a few prisoners. She counts all the enemies and comes to the calculation of fifteen slavers.

"What are the numbers?" Casey asks as he readies his M4.

"Looks like fifteen," she watches as three men drag a young brunette girl that fits the description of the man's daughter. They are pulling her by her arms as her feet drag on the ground. She looks to be beaten slightly as she isn't putting up much of a fight and is slumped. "I see the girl. They're locking her up now."

"Is this a job for Candy?" Casey quips, loving the Anti-material rifle so much.

"That's a good plan," Sarah muses. "You watch our backs as we clear the enemies."

"We?" Morgan unsurely asks as his eyebrows rise.

"I'm gonna need all three of you," Sarah informs them. "Leave the gear with Casey and follow me."

All three vault dwellers nervously put the gear they were holding down, Casey grabbing Candy and readying it, and they follow Sarah; staying crouched and hidden on the way there.

"Sarah," Chuck whispers, "you know we can't shoot for shit."

"It's just point and click," she retorts quickly like it is obvious.

"Uh, alright."

"We need to get closer before giving Casey the go-ahead."

They sneak deeper and deeper into the base, now only thirty feet from the east most shack. Sarah hurdles her way to the shack, staying out of sight from the unsuspecting slavers. To her, slavers are just as despicable as raiders, so she knows she is going to take pleasure in killing them.

Sarah readies her knife in her left hand and pistol in her right so she'll be ready for both ranges in a type of 'close quarters combat.' She doesn't want to alert anyone yet so she sneaks into the shack with the knife at the ready, but the gun still pointing as a last resort.

The three vaulters followed her to the outside of the shack, hiding along the wall. Sarah told them to wait outside while she clears the inside.

The shack is dark as she silently closes the door behind her. There are no windows and there is only one working lantern in the corner. She takes advantage of the darkness as she creeps deeper into the small shack to see a man urinating in the bathroom. She silently sneaks behind the man who is humming as he lets out the sweet relief that he was holding for an hour.

Sarah pulls her left hand across her body; the knife pointed away from her. She swings her left hand from right to left, stabbing the man in the neck and knocking him into the wall a foot away. She removes the knife and blood sprays out, Sarah avoiding it as she steps back. The man bleeds out in seconds and dies with his hands still wrapped around his 'man part.'

She has an evil smile gracing her face as she thinks _he's not going to be using that anymore._

Sarah quickly heads back out and meets the three vaulters standing there worried and edgy.

"Wha, what happened?" Chuck asks.

"Don't worry about it, I took care of it," she smirks and nods before continuing to the next shack. This shack is open and more like a shelter from the sun with a roof but only a wall on two sides. There are two men sitting down and playing cards with their backs turned to Sarah.

"You're such a cheater!" One of the men complains.

"It's all in the poker face," the other man laughs.

Sarah turns back to Chuck and takes the combat knife she gave him earlier. She clenches a knife in each hand and slowly sneaks behind the men. Casey watches through his scope as she crosses her arms across her chest before stretching her arms outward; the blades slicing into both enemies' necks. She pulls the knives out and blood sprays both sides of her, giving her a stripe of cleanness up her front and back. Her arms almost dripping with the amount of blood that sprayed. Her face was just out of the spray radius as her face is virtually unscathed from the blood.

"I knew that girl was dirty," Casey muses almost seductively as the sight kind of turns him on. He likes a girl who's not afraid to get dirty. He doesn't think of Sarah as anything other than a teammate.

Sarah turns back around to get the vaulters to follow her. Chuck looks at her with more fear than before and she can feel his stare boring into her.

"Don't worry," she chuckles like it's no big deal, "it's not my blood. Here's the knife," she hands it to him. He slowly takes it as his eyes dart back and forth between her eyes and the knife.

"G, g, good," was all he could get out of his mouth.

"Lets keep moving," she whispers as she turns the corner to where the two dead slavers are. There is a group of three chatting as they leisurely walk by. Sarah hides around the corner, peeking an eye out to watch the slavers. One of them turns their head and notices the two dead bodies.

"Oh shit!" He exclaims as the other two slavers look over; one male and one female. All three of them hurry to check on the bodies.

Casey notices that Sarah and the vaulters are in trouble so he readies his rifle. He takes aim on the middle one and fires one .50 caliber bullet. The bullets tears through the air, ringing in everyone's ears. The middle slaver's head splits into two and his body tumbles forward.

Sarah immediately turns from her corner after hearing the fire that could have only come from Casey's rifle. Both alive slavers freeze up at the sight of their friend's head opening up, spraying blood and brain matter across the ground. Sarah takes advantage and fires two quick shots from her Colt 1911. Both bullets tear through the slavers' heads, dropping them instantly.

Sarah knows that the rest of the slavers are going to be on alert now with the loud shot of Casey's gun and her gun too. Casey watches Sarah as she hurriedly continues to eliminate all the slavers. She and the three vaulters rush to the last shelter, Sarah cutting down each enemy she sees with a bullet to the head or chest.

The cells are only twenty feet from her, but there is no cover to the cells and there are still a few more slavers, who have their guns aimed towards her direction. Sarah hears Casey's gun pierce her eardrums and peeks out to see one of the five remaining slavers cartwheel off to the side from the force of the gun. Sarah uses her M14 rifle and fires a few shots, killing another slaver.

Chuck, Ellie, and Morgan are all huddled behind the same cover as Sarah, fearing for their lives. They were not trained for this and each gunshot sound reinforces there terror. Sarah peeks around the corner again, killing yet another slaver, leaving only two or three left. She spins back, hugging the cover with her back. She looks over at the terror-filled vaulters.

"It's almost over," she smiles reassuringly to calm them. Chuck laughs humorlessly as he is still freaking out. Ellie and Morgan are hugging each other for dear life.

Sarah steps out from her cover and hears another shot from Casey's rifle, blowing off a slaver's left arm, causing him to buckle down and bleed to death. She shoots at the last one she sees, hitting the slaver successfully in the shoulder and cheek in a quick burst.

Chuck nervously tightens his grip around his pistol that is in his hands and between his legs in his seated position against the wall. His hands are clammy and he is scared out of his mind. He notices a slaver flanking them and pulls on Sarah's pant leg from his crouched position. She ignores him as she is occupied with surveying the area. The other vaulters didn't notice the slaver flanking them. He tugs harder, but fails to get her attention.

The slaver appears from behind them, having a clear shot at Sarah. Chuck aims the quivering gun but knows it is life or death and fires the gun four times, three bullets burrowing into the slaver's chest. The slaver falls down dead and Chuck has the gun still aimed at the previous spot of the once alive slaver.

Sarah jumps from hearing gunfire from so close. She looks over to see the dead slaver and then her eyes drift over to Chuck, shaking with the gun in his hand, still aimed towards the dead slaver.

"Chuck!" She shakes him vigorously.

"Huh?" He looks up at her, sweat pouring down his face. "Oh!" He exclaims as her eyes glance over to the dead body and back to her. "He was going to shoot you!"

"Thank you," she smiles from ear to ear. This is a smile he has never seen before because she has never smiled so brightly before. It even surprises her how big her smile is. Chuck actually feels a quick wave of relief and infatuation as he sees the smile, bit that quickly fades.

"I, I killed someone," Chuck sighs in horrific surprise. "I took a life," his voice slowly floods with fear and worry.

"You saved all of our lives Chuck," Sarah helps him stand up. "If you didn't kill him, we'd all be dead. You're a hero," she convinces him that he shouldn't feel bad about it.

"That was awesome!" Morgan exclaims as he smacks Chuck on the shoulder, startling Chuck, who is still in a daze.

"You're a hero baby bro," Ellie hugs him gently. Chuck's arms slowly form around her upper back as he gets out of his daze.

"I am?" Chuck asks in awe.

"You are," Sarah confirms as she looks over to Casey, who waves his gun to say it's all clear.

They unlock the cells and acquire two more prisoners that were kidnapped along with the man's daughter. They head back and get back into town, being praised by everyone.

"Oh thank god!" The worried father runs up to his daughter and grabs her in a crushing hug.

"Dad! I missed you so much!" The girl cries tears of joy into his shoulder.

"I love you sweetie and I'll never let that happen to you again!"

"I love you too dad!" After they retreat from each other, the father turns to Sarah, Casey, and the vaulters.

"Thank you so much. I don't know how I could ever repay you," the father's voice is bursting with relief and happiness.

"There's no need to," Casey grunts.

"No, please," the man pulls out a handful of caps, "take this as payment."

"You keep it," Sarah says but the man persists.

"I insist. It's the least I could do."

"You're going to make us take it, huh?" Casey quips matter-of-factly. The man nods his head up and down vigorously. "Fine," Casey takes the caps and nods.

"Thank you so much!" The father looks all of them in the eyes before heading off to be with his daughter.

"We should get moving," Sarah suggests and Casey grunts in agreement.

"You uh, you should clean the blood off," Chuck awkwardly suggests to Sarah.

"Good idea," she nods with a subtle smile to Chuck before heading off to a water source to wash the blood off.

/

They continue their mission west to New Angeles after the two hour diversion of saving the daughter. Everyone has been quiet for the whole hour they've been walking since the small settlement. The silence is killing Ellie and she can tell Chuck isn't fully 'there.'

"Chuck," she calls his name.

"Huh? What?" He turns his head abruptly to look at Ellie.

"Are you alright?" Ellie asks as she gets closer to him. Sarah cannot help but glance back quickly to see the two siblings together. She has never had friends or family and is curious to know how they act with each other.

"What? Yea, I'm fine," he stammers sheepishly.

"I've known you since you were born and you definitely aren't fine," Ellie quips as she pats his back.

"You know me too well sis," Chuck smiles at her. "It's just, I, I killed someone." Ellie looks around dejectedly, not sure what to say. She has never killed so she has no idea what he's going through.

"You, you were protecting us," Ellie lamely answers. Sarah glances back again. She and Casey are the only ones who really know what he's going through. She remembers her first kill and it was traumatizing to her.

After re-watching the horror of her first kill, she lets out a sob as a tear slides down her left cheek. She prays that no one heard the sob as she quickly wipes the tear away and blinks her eyes furiously to push back the tears.

"Ellie," Sarah turns around once she recovered from the horrific flashback, "I can talk to him."

"Thanks," Ellie smiles warmly as she steps away from Chuck.

"Chuck," Sarah falls back to him and looks him in the eye, "I know it is hard but you had to do it. You did it out of self-defense and saved not only me, but your sister and best friend."

"I did, didn't I?" Chuck unsurely asks himself.

"You did great too. I know how traumatizing it is," she pauses slightly to gather herself, "the first time I had killed someone, it was nerve-racking. I felt like a monster but then I realized that if I didn't kill that guy, I would've been killed.

"How did it happen?"

"What?" She was caught off-guard by that question.

"How did you your first kill happen?"

"I, I was attacked," she looks away from him. She has never told anyone what happened to her. No one has ever cared. "There were four of them. They, they tried to—" Sarah pauses, not sure how to say that they tried to rape her.

"Then what?" Chuck asks as if he knew what she meant. This helped her calm down immensely.

"I tried to fight them off with my hands, but there were too many. A guy grabbed me from behind and I pulled out my knife and… I stabbed him in the neck. I, I watched him bleed to death." Sarah tries her best not to let a tear slip out. She hated that moment in her life, but she knows it was necessary. Chuck instinctively wraps his arm around her shoulders to comfort her.

"What happened to the rest of the guys?" Chuck asks, now quite intrigued by this story. Sarah instinctively molds against Chuck's side; letting her shoulder press into his armpit like a puzzle piece.

"They ran away. That was the second worst moment of my life," she again looks away from Chuck, not wanting him to see her vulnerability.

_Second?_ Chuck ponders in his mind. "I'm sorry you had to do that Sarah, but it was self-defense right?"

Yea?" She answers unsurely at first. "Yea!" She speaks with more conviction. "I understood that and now you need to understand that what you did was not murder. You are not a killer, but a hero."

"I'm no hero," Chuck slowly starts to smile as her words sink into him.

"Yes you are," she states boldly. "You saved Ellie, Morgan, and me. You're my hero," she smiles brightly, surprising herself with that comment. When did she ever say something like that and feel that good about saying it?

"Your hero?" Chuck mumbles to himself, wondering exactly what she meant by that. "Thanks," he smiles at her.

"No problem," she gives him a peck on the cheek. She sees his smile stretch past his cheeks in happiness and his skin flushes with red. She has never kissed him like that before, but seeing his reaction makes her want to do it again. "You did good Chuck," she nods at him, refraining from kissing his cheek again, and then meets up with Casey at the front of the group.

Chuck has to struggle to keep himself standing as his knees turn to rubber and he almost stumbles from just the brief kiss on the cheek. That tiny amount of touching caused him that? That is quite embarrassing, even if she is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen.

**/**

**Well, here's another chapter. I don't really know what I should write here except for something about loving reviews.**

**I thought of something to write here; because Chuck is on a seven week hiatus (or however long it is); I hope this can satiate your needs.**

**If you need a reference for anything Fallout, this website is superb: http:/fallout(dot)wikia(dot)com/wiki/Fallout:_New_Vegas**

**Seriously though, I love reviews more than you know.**


	6. Chuck Versus the Buy Morons

**I do not own Chuck.**

**Expect updates a little more frequent now that I finished my other story.**

**This story is going to get a lot more Chuck and less Fallout soon enough, but I won't lose either aspect.**

**Thanks for all the reviews so far but I know you can do better than that. The question is… Do I trust you enough to review that I will update sooner?**

**/**

They all continue west towards New Angeles. Looking at Chuck's pip-boy, Sarah guesses they are about five miles out from their destination. They find themselves in a desolate parking lot. There are a few nonfunctioning cars laid dead in the parking spots, accumulating rust over the years. They survey the area to see buildings surrounding the lot.

The first thing they notice is a bright green sign that is lighting up, even though it is the middle of the day.

"Looks like they have power in there," Sarah muses.

"What's a Buy More?" Morgan asks with a furrowed brow.

"Fuck if I know," Casey languidly responds.

"Looks like a type of department store," Sarah explains.

"We should check it out," Chuck ecstatically cheers. His curiosity is too immature and innocent for this wretched world as Sarah thinks.

"We need to be careful, Chuck," Sarah smiles to him, letting his innocence calm her.

"We should check that store out," Ellie points to a large sign that is crooked and to their right that reads: Underpants Etc. "We could use new clothes you know."

"I'm with her," Morgan stands next to Ellie to further his allegiance.

"That is a good plan," Chuck tries to reason.

"Damn wasteland virgins," Casey chuckles. "You're already getting a rash on your asses?"

"It can't hurt," Sarah says as she studies the building. The building looks worn and dark inside. "It looks pretty vacant though."

"Yea, too vacant," Casey muses. "It's probably already been scavenged the hell out of."

"I would kind of like to check out that Buy More. It looks cool," Chuck smiles at everyone.

"We'll go, but we need to watch our backs. They may have information on your parents. Don't trust anyone but us," Sarah warns all of them. They all nod before walking towards the Buy More.

The clear doors open automatically; everyone has their weapons holstered but Sarah and Casey are ready to shoot if the need arises. They walk in through a second set of automatic doors to be welcomed by two state-of-the-art assault rifles in their faces.

"Hello, welcome to the Buy More," one of the young men holding the gun says. He is wearing a green polo shirt that says Buy More stitched into his left chest. "When you buy more, you save more, and when you save more, you can buy more, and when you buy more you save more." Casey was about to growl in impatience at this puny kid's incessant greeting; even if Casey was actually jealous of their weapons. Such modern weapons are almost impossible to find.

"It all starts when you buy more," the other young man says with a smile on his face. He is wearing a short-sleeve white dress shirt with a grey tie on and black slacks. He is wearing glasses and his hair is large and robust like an afro. "I'm Skip. Welcome." He puts the gun down as does the other person, finally allowing everyone to take in the view of the interior.

From right to left, they find a wall full of destroyed televisions, a room that looks like a type of personal theater with clear glass windows to see inside, a desk directly in the middle of the store that reads Nerd Herd, shelves filled with electronic products, and an office.

"This place is amazing!" Morgan almost shouts.

"This is pretty awesome," Chuck muses as he takes in all the sights of the virtually unscathed store.

A small Indian guy (or girl?) and a large creepy man walk up to them, wearing similar white dress shirts and grey ties. "Our boss would like to talk to you," the Indian guy (there is no way a girl has that low of a voice) tells them.

"Mmm… fresh meat," the creepy man waddles slightly. The group doesn't know what to make of everything in this store.

"Get over here Jeffrey!" The Indian guy snaps at the ground next to him and the creepy guy stands next to him. "I'm sorry for my P.I.C.," the Indian guy nods, "I'm Lester by the way. Our boss, Big Mike would like to see you."

"Lead the way," Sarah finally speaks up.

"You guys aren't in trouble or anything," Lester explains. "Michael just likes to meet all the wanderers that come by."

"Did you bring a sacrifice?" Jeffrey asks as his eyes stare right at Ellie's breasts. Ellie narrows her eyes, losing her patience fast.

"Don't listen to him," Lester slaps Jeffrey in the face. "It's already past noon. He's thirteen beers in already." Jeffrey immediately looks away from Ellie's breasts and continues walking with Lester.

They walk along the left side of the building, where men and women wearing green polo shirts with tan slacks stand along both sides, making a type of runway for the group to follow. It leads right into an office room.

"Big Mike," Lester peeks his head in the office. "We have some visitors."

"Bring them in!" A loud voice thunders out of the office, startling the three vault dwellers. Lester looks at all of them as they walk by him and they filter into his small office. "Visitors," Big Mike sighs with glee. He is a large black man with no hair and he is wearing a business suit with a yellow name tag clipped to his chest. The chair that holds him is wooden with red velvet padding and jewels encrusted around it. He is wearing a crown that is stitched with velvet and Dalmatian fur.

"Hello," Sarah smiles, trying to show her innocence and friendliness, "I'm Sarah. This is Chuck, Morgan, Ellie, and Casey."

They all say "Hi," except for Casey who just grunts with a slight nod.

"We are just passing by and don't want any trouble," Sarah explains.

"Trouble?" Big Mike shakes his head as he arches it up. His chubby cheeks vibrate slightly from the quick head turns. The vault dwellers flinch slightly from his erratic movements. "Ain't no trouble's gonna happen here. We're all friends," he smiles brightly.

"That we are… Big Mike," Morgan squeaks out. "I may call you that?"

"That's my name and welcome to Buy Moria! Where we sell the finest electronics!" Big Mike shouts with happiness. "I love having guests. You guys can stay as long as you want! We have all the food in the world and accommodations for all of you."

"That is very generous," Ellie smiles and bows slightly.

"It would be nice to sleep on a bed," Chuck muses to Sarah and Casey, reading their uncertain faces. "You know you want to…" he smiles at Sarah.

"Is that a yes?" Big Mike asks all of them.

"I guess we can stay a night," Sarah unsurely crooks her head as a smile from Chuck's annoyingly cute pressure gets to her. Casey growls slightly in resign.

"Great!" Big Mike shouts; a few specks of saliva flying out of his mouth. "We can get you guys some yogurt from the Orange Orange!"

"Sounds delicious," Chuck smiles. "What's yogurt?"

/

After getting this odd liquid/solid cold substance they call 'yogurt,' Jeff and Lester give them a tour of the store.

"This is the home theater room," Lester informs everyone. "Where—"

"I take my naps," Jeff interrupts and burps after. Everyone flinches back and crinkle their noses.

"Dammit Jeffrey!" Lester snaps his hand. "Lets keep moving."

Jeff winks at Chuck, causing Chuck to furrow his brow and scowl slightly. They continue to the break room; Chuck hiding behind Casey inconspicuously by keeping Casey in between him and Jeff.

"This is the break room, which is where we… incidentally take breaks," Lester explains. "From here, Fernando will take you to the living quarters." Fernando appears from behind them with a snort as he pushes his glasses against the bridge of his nose.

Fernando is short and chubby with a small afro and some acne on his face. He leads them behind some lockers that have a hidden walkway behind them. Chuck and Morgan are both thinking how cool this is. They can still hear Jeff and Lester's faint voices as they walk into the hidden pathway.

"Did you see those succulent pieces of meat?" Lester asks Jeff.

"Mmm… Brahmin steak…" Jeff starts to drool.

"I was talking about the blonde and brunette," Lester deadpans. Sarah raises an eyebrow as her mouth curls downward slightly. Everyone else scowls at hearing the words.

"The blonde definitely wanted to do me," Jeff says. Sarah throws up a little inside her mouth at the thought of Jeff wearing… well just Jeff in general. She quickly tries to take her mind off by thinking of something else. This something else just happens to be right in front of her and is named Chuck. She smiles as thoughts of him drain her mind off of Jeff.

"I'm sure Jeffrey. They always do," Lester sarcastically responds as they walk off. Everyone's scowls deepen at hearing the two creepiest people they have ever seen; and Sarah and Casey have seen some creepy things.

"What is this place?" Chuck asks intrigued after they get deeper into this underground bunker of some sorts. They find themselves inside a base with an ample amount of television monitors and glass doors; all unscathed.

"Our boss found it a long time ago. It used to be some kind of Government base," Fernando answers.

"That's where you got those weapons, huh?" Casey asks, knowing he is right.

"Exactly… Alright," Fernando points to a few cells along the walls of one of the different hallways that extends from the main area. "These are the sleeping quarters. They are already bedded with pillows and blankets."

"Thank you Fernando," Ellie nods and Fernando smiles nervously.

"No problem," he quickly mutters as he turns around. "If you need any help, the way out is through this hallway and to the left."

"Thanks again," Morgan shouts as Fernando disappears from the hallway. "This is awesome! A government base!" Morgan jumps onto Chuck like a koala bear on a tree trunk.

"This is pretty awesome," Chuck muses as Morgan climbs off of him. Ellie and Sarah giggle slightly at their comical antics.

Sarah looks into two of the rooms and there are two beds in each. "Looks like we split in twos," she informs everyone.

"How are we bunking then?" Ellie asks.

"I'm with you!" Morgan jumps next to Ellie, smiling at her as innocent as he can with a slight pout. Ellie rolls her eyes in reluctance.

"I'll stay awake. You can't trust anyone," Casey offers.

"No, no," Chuck happily puts his hand on Casey's shoulder, eliciting an angry growl. Chuck removes his hand immediately. "You guys need to rest. I'll stand guard."

"We've trained to work on minimal sleep," Sarah explains, denying his request nicely.

"No, you guys deserve it for everything you've done. I'll be fine, I promise," Chuck retorts with a smile on his face because she actually cares about him somewhat.

"Are you sure Chuck?"

"I'm certain," he answers with conviction. "Plus, I snore like a bear," he quips. Sarah smiles genuinely. _If he only knew what a bear was now,_ she thinks as the radiation has mutated them into nasty beasts.

"Thanks Chuck," she rubs his upper arm gently, causing Chuck to smile as his hairs rise from the touch. "Looks like we're settled then."

/

The rest of the day passed quickly. Chuck and Morgan were drooling over all the electronic equipment like kids in a candy store. Sarah couldn't help but smile at their happiness and joy. She doesn't understand how anyone could go so happily insane over obsolete objects like an 'Xbox 360' or a 'Wii'; whatever the hell those are. She doesn't care, as long as she sees the innocent smiles on Chuck's face, she feels relaxed and blissful herself.

They find their way back to the sleeping quarters inside this base they decided to call Castle because it is like a protected fort inside with invincible walls. Ellie and Morgan are in their room preparing their separate cots as Sarah and Casey do the same. Chuck is standing at the doorway of Sarah and Casey's room, admiring Sarah as she pats the pillow and undoes the covers.

She is just wearing a tank top and some really short shorts. Chuck's eyes widen slightly as he watches her perfect ass as she bends forward making her bed. He can feel a warmth in his groin and doesn't know what to do because he has never really had this feeling before.

"Are you sure you're okay with watching us Chuck?" Sarah asks with genuine emotion. Chuck's eyes jump up to her face, but not without a quick pit stop at her breasts; displayed so perfectly as her tank top forms around them tightly, letting him see her perky nipples poking through barely.

"I'll be fine. I think a tired 'wasteland virgin'," he throws up air quotes, "is less of a problem than one of you being tired."

"Thank you Chuck," she walks up to him with a smile. "You're too sweet. If anything happens, don't hesitate to wake me up."

"Don't worry, I think my girlish screams in the face of danger will alert you," he quips.

"Goodnight Chuck," she giggles at his joke and gives him a peck on the cheek. His smile stretches again and his skin reddens. She turns around, scrunching her lips in a childish smile. She has never had that effect on anyone before but she likes having the power to do that to Chuck.

"Goodnight Sarah," he finally chokes out after the paralysis she caused him. "Sweet dreams," he almost whispers in embarrassment. "Goodnight Casey," he speaks a little clearer. Casey just grunts back sincerely.

"No sweet dreams for Casey?" Sarah jokes as she climbs into the bed.

"I don't think that's possible, unless they contain a lot of blood, shooting, and guns," Chuck quips.

"Amen," Casey nods as he gets comfortable in his cot; his feet dangling off the edge. Chuck and Sarah both laugh together. Chuck walks out to say goodnight to Ellie and Morgan.

"Casey?" Sarah asks after knowing the coast is clear from Chuck. The lights are now off and the room is dark except for the light filtering in from the hallway.

"Huh?" Casey grunts.

"Have you ever wondered what it would be like if we weren't in the service?"

"I've been doing it for over a week until you decided to 'rescue' me," he puts a sarcastic tone on 'rescue'. "It's just as shitty as the world we live in."

"Oh," she sounds a bit dejected.

"You know we could make much better time without them, right?" He looks over at Sarah's silhouetted form.

"We're not leaving them," Sarah almost shouts at the thought with determination. She has done some horrible things to people but she knows how helpless they would be without her and she could never hurt Chuck like that.

"You would never leave that vaulter," he has a tone of arrogant confidence. "Would you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You like him Walker. I know how much Graham's going to hate his golden girl falling for someone."

"I'm not falling for him!" Sarah protests.

"You don't need to deny it; I'm not Graham. You do know he likes you too, right?"

"He does?" She asks like an excited teenager. "It doesn't really matter," she quickly reiterates, to try to convince him that she is not truthfully excited.

"Humph. Walker, we've had to do some undesirable things, but they were all for a good cause. It's not like the gods are going to screw you over for what you've done in the past."

"I never pictured you a religious type," Sarah scoffs, avoiding the seriousness of the conversation.

"I'm not. It just sounds more elegant than some bullshit."

"You know I'm not supposed to have feelings at all," she sounds slightly saddened.

"Fuck Graham. That's what I should have said to the General."

"What?"

"Why do you think I accepted coming here so easily?"

Sarah stays silent, pondering on what he's trying to say.

"I left my girlfriend back in New Angeles three years back and haven't gotten a chance to go there. Then you all came along and gave me the perfect reason."

"Why would you need a reason? You could have just come back and talked to her anytime."

"Three years is a long time away from someone. She's probably moved on by now."

"You can't know that," she sits up, staring at him.

"Don't turn this on me. Just don't lead the moron on. He trusts you, which is something hard to find in this world."

"I know. I love how he is so innocent and curious about everything," she blabbers cheerfully. _Stop talking like a schoolgirl with a crush_ Sarah scolds herself.

"Humph. Just remember what I said," Casey turns in his bed to try to catch some shut-eye.

"Thanks Casey. Goodnight," Sarah shuts her eyes.

"Goodnight," Casey grunts.

Sarah knows she's going to have some great dreams about a certain someone doing a certain something with her. She falls asleep with a content smile on her face.

/

A few hours later, Chuck finds himself falling asleep. He stands up and slaps himself in the face, trying to stay awake. He decides to make a round by the rest of them who are sleeping. He pops his head into Morgan and Ellie's room to see them both sleeping. Morgan is sucking on his thumb and holding the blankets close to his chest. Chuck smiles, trying to resist laughing.

_Morgan is… well Morgan. I don't understand him. He would leave his parents and the vault just for me and Ellie? That is just crazy. He is the best friend anyone could ever have; even if he is a little dense at times. I would do anything for him._

Chuck checks in on Sarah and Casey sleeping and his eyes just glue to her peaceful form. He finds himself drawn to her beauty. She has a slight smile on her face and her hair is spread across the pillow; a few strands tickling her nose. Chuck finds himself admiring her.

_She is so beautiful. I wonder if she likes me. She is so nice to me, but she can kick my ass if I do anything stupid. I wish I could tell her how I feel, but there is no way someone as amazing as her could like me like that. She actually looks quite adorable._

Sarah wiggles her nose as her hairs tickle it. She wipes the hairs away from her nose ash she itches it with her hand. Chuck smiles from ear to ear as he sees how cute she could look.

_She is so adorable right now. She is just amazing. She is willing to put up with all of our naivety when she could have ditched us days ago. What exactly does she want with my parents? She thinks they could help her fix the world. Or is she just using me? Oh, no. Please don't be using me to get to my parents. What if she wants to just use them too? Will she just kill them after they do what she wants? Will she kill me?_

Chuck actually gasps slightly at the thought.

_Stop thinking that. She hasn't shown any sign of betrayal. She has history with raiders. I don't know what it is, but something happened to her family. I should ask her, but what if she gets mad at me? I don't want to upset her. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her. Stop thinking about this!_

He tears his eyes from her flawless sleeping form and walks away.

/

"Sarah?" Chuck whispers as he leans closer to her. He brushes a few strands of hair from her perfect face. Her smile deepens slightly in her sleep. "Sarah, it's time to wake up." Her eyes flutter slightly.

Through her eyelashes and a content smile she says, "Good morning Chuck." She has to fight the urge to reach out and hug him.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Great, thanks," she has to fight even harder to resist the urge to embrace him.

"I'll wake up the others," Chuck smiles from ear to ear as he admires her for a second before turning to wake Casey up.

After waking everyone up, they go upstairs to meet all the Buy Morians. The food was actually quite delicious, being grilled on a Beastmaster.

Lester sits next to Sarah and gets really close. Sarah tries to ignore him, but he persists. "How'd you sleep last night, baby-cheeks?"

Sarah furrows her brow and flinches back slightly. "Excuse me?"

"You don't have to pretend there wasn't an attraction between us. I know you felt those bloatflies inside your stomach when we first locked eyes," Lester tries to act confident and suave.

"You know I could gut you like a fish with this knife here?" Sarah fiddles with her tactical knife in her right hand; after pulling it out. Lester's eyes widen as he cowers away.

"I, I was—Is that Jeff? Jeff, buddy! I'll be right over there. Sorry, Jeff needs me," Lester gets up and walks away fast.

Sarah feels satisfied as a smile grows on her face. Her eyes drift over to Chuck sitting next to her. He is on the verge of laughing.

"That was awesome," Chuck sighs as he smiles to her. He definitely loves her adorableness and humor.

"Thanks."

/

They are all packed and ready to go. They are saying their goodbyes to all the Buy Morians except those two creepy guys, Jeff and Lester.

"We cannot thank you enough for your hospitality," Ellie says to all of them.

"It is no problem. Just make sure you come back soon," Big Mike smiles widely as he opens his arms for a hug. Ellie reluctantly leans forward, gingerly patting Big Mike on the back in the hug. After hugging everyone, they are on the verge of leaving.

"Chuck?" Morgan nervously asks.

"Yea, buddy?"

"I, I um think," Morgan struggles to finish his statement. Chuck gives him a look to tell him it is alright. "I think I'm going to stay here."

"What?" Chuck's eyes widen.

"These people get me. They accept me too! Big Mike said I could stay."

"You're leaving us?" Ellie asks with a hint of sadness.

"It's better this way. They have everything I could possibly want here. Electronics like these… It's a calling," Morgan explains with a mixture of happiness and sadness.

"I'm gonna miss you buddy," Chuck wraps his arm around Morgan's shoulders.

"Stop it or I'm going to cry. I'm not kidding," Morgan quips.

"Once I find my parents, I'm coming back to visit you," Chuck declares with conviction.

"I'll be seeing you soon then," Morgan hugs Chuck tightly. Morgan walks up and hugs Ellie. "I'll miss you and always love you," he quips as he holds onto her tightly.

"I'll miss you too," Ellie smiles as she finally gets out of the incessantly long hug because Morgan wouldn't let go.

Morgan walks over to Sarah. "Here's your gun. Thank you for everything."

"Keep it," Sarah pushes his open hand with the gun in it back to him. "It has been… interesting," she gives him a brief hug.

Morgan finally gets to Casey. "Thanks for helping us get this far," he opens his arms to hug Casey. Casey looks at him with a scowl and growls in a hum. Morgan switches his tactic and puts out his hand for a handshake. Casey shakes his hand, squeezing tighter than Morgan's comfort. Morgan cringes slightly from the strong grip Casey has. "We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you and your numerous amount of grunts."

Luckily Casey released his hand before Morgan finished the joke, or he would have lost his right hand for sure. "I'll see you guys later," Morgan waves as they set off for New Angeles. "I love you Ellie!"

**/**

**I hope everyone is enjoying this story. I've always wondered how people get those stories with hundreds of reviews. Most of those stories are totally AU like this one, so maybe that is the key. Or, those stories are just that magnificent. I hope you're ready for a Bartowski reunion and some major Chuck/Sarah is coming soon.**

**Anyways… Please leave a review expressing your thoughts and criticism. I did just write about 4,000 words, the least you could do is leave a review. I'm just saying…**

**Anyways… again, thanks for reading this far and I hope you continue enjoying this story.**


	7. Chuck Versus the Worrysome Reunion

**I do not own Chuck or Fallout, but this story is all mine, I think. Or at least my child born from the two.**

**Thanks for the reviews so far.**

**/**

They are nearing the outskirts of New Angeles and Chuck is already missing his best friend, Morgan.

"Chuck," Ellie comforts him, "we'll see him soon."

"I know, but it just… after everything he went through for us…" Chuck struggles to finish his sentence.

"He was a good friend."

"He is a great friend," Chuck corrects her with a sigh.

"He is happy where he is now and we helped him find it."

"I guess you're right." He smiles at Ellie. "Thanks sis."

Ellie pats Chuck on the back.

"Sarah?" Chuck calls to her.

"Yea, Chuck?" She looks back at him.

"What exactly do you want with our parents?"

"I'm not even quite sure exactly; my mission was just to acquire them and get them to… well here."

"Alright," Chuck sounds slightly dejected. _Is she lying to me? Is she really tasked with killing them? Is she telling the truth and I can trust her?_ Chuck asks himself unsurely of what Sarah's intentions are no matter how much he cares about her.

They see a sign that says 'Welcome to Los Angeles' but the 'Los' is spray painted over with 'New' in red paint.

"That's paint right?" Chuck asks unsurely.

"No, it's blood moron," Casey deadpans as they continue.

"Thanks for elaborating," Chuck sarcastically responds. Sarah smirks at the comical sarcasm.

"I'm going to check in with my boss," Sarah informs everyone as they continue into the ruins of Los Angeles.

/

"Director Graham," his assistant says through the door, "Agent walker is here to see you."

"Bring her in," Graham is almost ecstatic at the thought.

Sarah walks into his office, standing at attention in front of his desk.

"At ease Sarah," Graham calmly says. "Did you find the Bartowski's?"

"Not exactly sir," Sarah responds quickly. Graham gives her an expectant look. "As I made my way to the vault, I learned of their escape and was told they were heading here."

"So, you went out there for absolutely nothing?"

"I wouldn't say that. I found their son and daughter."

"Hmm…" Graham ponders for a brief second. "Do they have any information we need to extract?" He means through interrogation and Sarah knows it too.

"No!" She almost yells at the thought of torture. Just the image of Chuck being tortured makes her sick and she has to blink her emotions away. "They are just looking for their parents like we are."

"Where are they?"

"They are just outside the building sir."

"Ditch them. They are just going to slow you down." Graham orders. Sarah feels a slight pain in her left chest; something she has never felt before.

"Sir, with all due respect, they just want to find their parents. The least we could do is reunite them."

"As long as there's not a problem," Graham narrows his eyes as Sarah nods. "So the Bartowski's are somewhere in the city?"

"That is what I believe."

"I will relinquish all my assets on finding them."

"Sir? What exactly do you want with them?" Sarah asks, remembering Chuck's concern earlier.

"We don't want to sanction them if that is what you mean." Graham explains. Sarah actually sighs in relief. She would never be able to tell Chuck that his parents are going to be executed. "We need them. They are two of the best scientists I knew and they are the only chance we have of fixing this world."

"Thank you sir," Sarah nods with more relief. "Does that mean they can see their children again?"

"I don't see the harm in that. I will inform you once we find them."

"Thank you sir. Are there extra beds for them temporarily until we find their parents?"

"I'll arrange it."

"Thank you sir," Sarah leaves the office.

/

"How'd it go?" Chuck asks slightly giddy.

"Fine, they are looking for your parents now," Sarah smiles. She actually kind of missed Chuck; no matter how pathetic that sounds.

"Is that a good thing?" He asks cautiously, not knowing their intentions for his parents.

"Yea! Once they find them, they'll let you guys see them again," Sarah's smile grows as she sees Chuck's smile appear, before he looks away with a slight embarrassed sorrow.

"I'm sorry," he kicks the dust at his feet.

"Why?" Sarah's smile diminishes as he looks sad.

"I didn't know if I could trust you. I kind of thought you were trying to kill them."

"Chuck," she picks his face up with her right hand, "I would never let them do that. They want your parents to save the world. So, expect them alive and happy," Sarah's smile is right back as is Chuck's.

"That's great," Ellie sighs with happy relief.

"Where's Casey?" Sarah asks as she furrows her brow.

"He said he had some unfinished business to tend to and that we probably won't see him again," Chuck answers. Sarah smirks, knowing exactly what Casey is doing. He is trying to get his girlfriend back. This makes Sarah think _What if Chuck was my boyfriend and I called him that?_ _Did I just think that?_ Sarah scolds herself.

"Do you know what that means?" Ellie asks after seeing the knowing smirk on Sarah's face.

"He's trying to rekindle an old flame," Sarah answers.

"That's quite eloquent for an agent," Chuck quips.

"What can I say? I'm an eloquent schnook," she jokes as her smile immediately freezes and her eyes start to glaze over with tears.

"Sarah?" Chuck instinctively moves closer to her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she shakes her head and waives him off. "It's just something my dad used to say," she smiles through her sadness.

"What happened to him?" Chuck asks as he opens his arms to hug her.

"I don't want to talk about it right now," she complies and lets his arms wrap around her back. She rests her head on his shoulder, realizing how comfortable and safe she feels. She has never felt any sort of comfort or security before, but she concludes that she likes it.

"So, what do we do now?" Ellie asks.

"Now, we splurge," Sarah quips, eliciting a smile from Chuck.

/

"What's that place?" Chuck points at a building while they walk along Sunset Boulevard. Many of the buildings survived the bombs and have prospered. The sun is starting to set and the neon lights of all the buildings light up to give an odd pinkish-blue glow to the street.

"That would be the third bar you've pointed at," Sarah answers as she bobs her head exaggeratedly.

"And what's that?" Chuck asks with a new found glee that Sarah thought would have dissipated after that last place he pointed at.

"A brothel," Sarah answers a bit shyly. She knows what they do there and it kind of disgusts her.

"What's a brothel?" Ellie asks. Sarah cringes slightly, hoping no one would ask.

"Well, it is where you can pay to be with another person," Sarah hates talking about sex so she tries to avoid the word.

"Like a person to have a conversation with?" Chuck asks with slight intrigue. He and Ellie have no idea what a brothel is, whatsoever.

"Kind of like that, but it is more physical than verbal… well, usually at least."

"Why would someone pay to talk with someone?" Chuck persists and Sarah loses it.

"It's where you pay to have sex!" She almost yells. Both Ellie and Chuck look away dejectedly. Sarah hates talking about sex because it just doesn't feel right to her.

"Oh," Chuck mumbles. He doesn't like to talk about sex either.

"That's disgusting," Ellie scowls.

"I know," Sarah says quietly, feeling embarrassed.

"So… what's that?" Chuck changes the subject with more excitement that Sarah has no idea where it is coming from.

"A hotel," Sarah mentally thanks him for changing the subject by playfully bumping him with her shoulder.

"Where are we supposed to sleep?" Ellie asks, being on the topic of places to stay.

"I arranged some cots at the NCR barracks if that is alright," Sarah answers.

"Thank you."

"And that?" Chuck points to a large building with extra bright lights.

"A casino," Sarah answers simply. After a brief pause, Sarah clarifies, "where people waste their money gambling on card games and such."

"This is so cool!" Chuck cheers with pure excitement. Sarah laughs a little at his enthusiasm, never seeing someone so happy about some buildings that she has seen hundreds of times.

/

After the tour of the city, Sarah led them to the NCR barracks. She procured three beds next to each other. Sarah is straightening her pillow in just a tank top and shorts.

Sarah's breasts are plump and ample through her tank top undershirt. Her shorts barely make it past the bottom of her ass and when she leans forward enough, Chuck gets a very brief look at the bottom of her ass cheeks. God, how he loves her in her sleepwear. After a few seconds or a few minutes (he's not quite sure), Ellie elbows Chuck in the side.

"Ow," he quietly shrieks as he looks at Ellie's head shaking. "What?"

"Nothing," Ellie smiles as she rolls her eyes.

Chuck changes into just some shorts to sleep in and takes off his shirt. Sarah stares at his chest, drawn to his naked chest. Luckily, Chuck didn't realize she was staring. He climbs into the bed he was designated, which happens to be right in between Sarah's and Ellie's. He thinks the quartermaster may have done that on purpose just to make him uncomfortable, not knowing that Ellie is his sister.

Sarah and Ellie both climb into their beds and under the covers.

"Sarah?" Chuck asks quietly.

"Yea?"

"How long until they find my parents?"

"Hopefully tomorrow, if we're lucky."

"Oh," Chuck sounds very disappointed and Sarah notices.

"What's wrong Chuck?"

"If we find my parents, then we'll have to part ways. I mean, without you, we wouldn't have made it past Jacobstown and I was kind of enjoying our time together," he rambles with sadness.

Sarah feels an odd pang in her chest. She doesn't know what it is, but her heart actually hurts, if that makes sense. She has enjoyed her time with Chuck too and doesn't really know what to say or do.

"I understand," Chuck says dejectedly, concluding her silence as apathy. "You have your missions to do and I would just be in the way."

"Chuck," she reaches towards him, not quite able to make it across the gap between the beds. He sees her arm and reaches his out, so they can hold hands. She squeezes his hand tightly. "I am enjoying my time with you too."

Chuck smiles as he squeezes her hand a little tighter. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For everything, for saving me from raiders and slavers, for helping me find my parents, for holding my hand," he whispers the last part.

"You're welcome. Goodnight Chuck," she lets her eyelids close.

"Goodnight Sarah," Chuck turns to his left to talk to Ellie.

"Goodnight Chuck," Ellie smiles at him before closing her eyes.

"Goodnight Ellie," he smiles back at Sarah before lying back with a content smile on his face.

Chuck and Sarah both fall asleep while holding hands and content smiles on their faces.

/

**It's about to get physical, physical. Just a warning for those young Chuck fans out there.**

Chuck feels a weight bearing down on his waist so he opens his eyes. The first thing he sees is a mop of golden hair. As his vision accustoms, he sees the most angelic face looking down at him. Her smile lights the room and he stares into her beautiful, wondrous eyes and cannot tear his eyes away from it. She takes his hands and placing them on her breasts.

He feels her hard nipples against his palms; realizing she is absolutely naked, but his eyes won't leave her mystical sapphire pupils. He can feel her move his hands up and down her exposed chest, but his eyes just won't budge.

She leans into him and presses her soft, luscious lips against his. The kiss is slow and tender, slowly increasing with passion and pleasure. Her tongue gently knocks on his lips, asking sincerely for entrance. He obliges and parts his lips, letting her tongue explore every part of his mouth while he tastes her delicious breath.

He feels her weight shift off of him, but his eyes are still glued to her eyes as she seems to retreat slightly. He almost whimpers as their lips part, wanting to feel them again. His want is immediately satisfied as she slowly sits back down on him; letting his hard length slide into her wet folds.

The pleasure that he feels makes him almost explode right then as she slowly gyrates around him; letting her blonde locks brush across her face. Her mouth slowly opens from the pleasure of him inside of her.

He feels heat and pleasure form in his abdomen as it slowly builds up south towards his groin. He can feel his muscles tense as the pleasure builds too great for him to hold in any longer.

"I love you Sarah," he whispers breathlessly in content.

Chuck bolts up from the cot he was sleeping in; beads of sweat dripping down his forehead and he feels the pool of cold sweat he is lying in. He looks to his right to see Sarah sleeping peacefully and then looks to the left to see Ellie still sleeping.

**No more steaminess so all you teenagers can read some more.**

"It was just a dream," he whispers to himself, slowly dropping his left hand under the blankets and into his shorts. It is virtually dry with only sweat. He breathes a sigh of relief, but he is harder than a steel pole. He double checks that both women are sleeping because of how awkward that would be.

He questions what to do. He needs to get rid of it as quick as possible. There is no way he is going to release himself in front of them, but has no idea what to do. He calms himself and turns onto his stomach, hiding the evidence of the steamy dream he didn't know his subconscious could create. It is usually much more sincere to women.

"Good morning Chuck," Sarah says through closed eyes. Chuck's eyes widen with humiliation.

"Uh, good morning Sarah. How'd you sleep?" Chuck answers rapidly, causing concern for Sarah.

"Chuck, are you alright?"

"Uh, yea I'm fine. Why would you ask?" He still hasn't been able to calm his voice down yet. This has never happened to him before and he is filled with terror.

"You seem worried or something."

"It's just… about seeing my parents again," he answers lamely.

"Alright," she drawls while shaking her head slightly. She climbs out of bed, wearing her tank top and short shorts that make her almost irresistible. "We should probably check to see if they found your parents yet."

"Okay," Chuck looks at her in her skimpy clothes; his eyes widening. _That is so unfair; how am I supposed to get rid of this now?_ He asks himself.

/

"Chuck? Ellie?" Sarah actually feels quite excited and ecstatic. "You ready for a surprise?"

"Yes!" They both cheer with exhilaration just outside of a door.

Sarah opens the door to a laboratory with three individuals in it. All of them have their backs turned, but there was one brunette female, one brunette male slightly hunched, and a tall muscular man with blonde hair.

Sarah lets Chuck and Ellie go ahead as she sits back against the wall, watching the family reunion; something she'll never have.

"Mom? Dad?" Chuck cautiously asks, making all three of them turn around. There they are; Mary and Stephen Bartowski.

"Chuck?" Mary's eyes widen at the sight of her son and daughter. "Ellie? What are you guys doing here?"

"We came to find you," Ellie says as she hugs her mom tightly. She missed her immensely as she was her role model while in the vault.

"We wanted you to stay in the vault," Stephen speaks up.

The third man, who looks to be in his early twenties and very handsome (even a straight guy could say that truthfully), gazes upon what he believes is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen.

"How could you have just left us like that?" Chuck asks as he hugs his dad. "The vault went to hell when you guys left."

"What do you mean? Our intention was to keep you safe," Stephen asks with slight worry.

"But when you left, they blamed us and tried to interrogate us."

"It was horrible!" Ellie almost cries. "They were threatening me but I didn't know anything."

"I'm so sorry," Mary cries into Chuck's shoulder as they hug. "We didn't know they would do that. I swear or we would have never left."

"I know," Ellie says sympathetically as she hugs Stephen.

Sarah watches the reunion with intent. She knows she will never have the feeling of that now that her family is gone. She has no one left and it starts to hurt inside her. She steels her features before any more emotion could pour out of her.

"We left for a reason that I hope you'll understand. We can fix this world," Stephen explains. This is when Sarah walks up to them all.

"Mr. and Mrs. Bartowski?" Sarah asks. They both look at her with expectance. "I am with the NCR and can assist you with anything you need."

"This is Sarah," Chuck says with a smile on his face. The thoughts of his dream making him blush slightly. _God, she is so beautiful_ Chuck thinks.

"Hello," Stephen shakes her hand.

"Hi. The NCR would like to make themselves readily available for any assistance," Sarah smiles sincerely.

"This could really help us with the research," Mary informs Stephen.

"You're right," Stephen says to Mary. "Oh, but where are my manners? This is Devon."

"Yo," he raises a friendly hand up.

"Devon, this is my son Chuck, my daughter Ellie," both of them lock eyes and feel a moment of longing, "and this is… well Sarah." They all say hello and exchange handshakes.

"Is it alright if the NCR watches over your work? I can guarantee they will not interfere with your work, unless you personally ask for it. My boss believes you both can change the world," Sarah informs them.

"That would be useful," Mary says.

"I'll go check in with my boss and get everything prepared," Sarah turns to leave. As she gets to the door, Chuck stops her.

"Sarah," he asks with slight sadness.

"Yea?" She can see the sadness in his brown eyes.

"Are you leaving for good? Because I kind of wanted to learn how to survive and maybe you could train me," he looks down at his feet as the color fades from his skin. He looks back at her with conviction, "Will I ever see you again?" She has been there pretty much since Chuck got out of the vault and she makes him feel safer and more comfortable. He's formed a bond with her that means everything to him.

"Chuck," she picks his head up, "I will be heading this mission, so we'll still see each other," her smile says it all to Chuck. It literally tells him that she is being purely truthful and would never betray him. He starts to smile as the color of his skin comes back. "You want me to train you?" She scrunches her lips, trying to hold in her chuckle.

"Well, I would rather it be someone I know," he scratches his head in slight humiliation.

"I would like that," she shyly smiles. "It sounds like fun."

"For you," he quips. She laughs.

"I'll be back soon. I just need to tell Graham that your parents openly accepted our help," she gives him a peck on the cheek. _Oh, not again_ Chuck thinks as his legs get a bit wobbly and he grins wider than he knew was possible. "Where's Ellie?" Sarah asks with a furrowed brow.

Chuck turns around and sees that only his parents are there. "I don't know," he shrugs as he looks back at her. "Goodbye Sarah."

"Bye Chuck," she leaves.

"Hi, I'm Ellie," Ellie says through heavy breathing.

"I'm Devon," Devon says with the same kind of labored breath as he pulls her shirt off and continues kissing her while inside a storage closet they found.

"This is crazy," Ellie exhales breathlessly. "I don't even know you." Her hands are pulling his shirt off and letting her hands roam his muscular chest and abs.

"I'm twenty one years old and I really, really like you," he answers quickly as he pulls her pants down.

"Good enough for me," Ellie smiles seductively as she pulls his pants down. "I'm twenty one and I like you too," she says between kisses.

"Awesome," he moans into her mouth as his hands ravage her breasts and back. Her hands cup his groin and she presses her body against him while still kissing passionately. His back bangs against the wall but their passion is greater than the small pain.

/

Mr. Bartowski. Mrs. Bartowski," Sarah walks through the door with two men behind her about an hour later.

"Call us Mary and Stephen," Mary tells Sarah.

"Alright. This is Agent Craig. He'll be on guard and ready to report anything you need," Sarah introduces a plain looking man with NCR ranger armor. "This is Arcade Gannon," she introduces another man, "and he is one of the best scientists the NCR has."

"Gannon the Third," Arcade corrects Sarah as he pushes his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. He has dirty blonde hair and seems very nerdy and eccentric.

"Hello," Mary shakes Arcade's followed by Stephen's.

"The Third?" Chuck asks with intrigue.

"My grandfather, who was a hero, even if he was Enclave," Arcade stresses with staring daggers at Sarah; eliciting a roll of the eyes from Sarah, "helped save Hoover Dam from Caesar's Legion and practically saved the NCR."

"We all know he was a hero," Sarah apathetically bobs her head, tired of hearing this story as she has heard it plenty of times.

"And you guys locked him up after that," Arcade's glare shifts to soft and friendly as he turns to Chuck. "You see, him and this courier teamed up and single-handedly saved the NCR in New Vegas. There are records and all about this."

"So, how does an Enclave member's grandson become NCR?" Stephen asks.

"Well, the courier ended up setting a truce and my grandfather may have been into men, but he did his part to procreate. My father always told me stories of how great his father was and how he saved NCR. Call it genetics, call it obligation…" Arcade trails off.

"That's cool but what's Enclave?" Chuck asks.

"Have you been living in a vault your whole life?" Arcade throws his hands up in disbelief.

"Well, yea," Chuck sheepishly answers. "I only left a few days ago."

"Oh," Arcade looks sympathetic, "I didn't know."

"No problem," Chuck smiles.

"Enclave are an organized military who will do anything to protect themselves pretty much," Stephen explains. Arcade nods with acceptance of the answer. He knows Enclave aren't good-natured but they have their pros and cons.

"It's nice to meet you all. I hope I could be of some service. I followed your earlier work when I was younger."

"Great! This is my son, Chuck," Stephen looks around for Ellie and Devon, who both seem to have vanished for the last hour. "And my daughter… Where is she?"

"And where's Devon?" Mary asks.

As if on cue, Devon steps out of the supply closet in the corner of the room. His shirt a bit ragged and his hair messy. Everyone looks at him with furrowed brows. Ellie decides to hide for a few minutes to lower suspicions.

"What were you doing in there?" Stephen asks.

"Just, uh, checking inventory," Devon lies sheepishly. Devon cannot lie for the life of him.

"Have you seen Ellie?" Mary asks.

"Nope, I thought she was out here," Devon lamely responds. Both elder Bartowski's see right through his lies.

"Ellie, you can come out now," Mary hollers.

Devon looks back with his mouth stretched in a sheepish apologetic smile. Ellie walks out with her hair chaotic and her clothes wrinkled. She pads out of the closet with pure embarrassment flustering her rosy cheeks.

"Hi guys," she says lamely.

"That probably wasn't the smartest place to… uh do that," Stephen stares at Ellie and then Devon. Sarah and Chuck both awkwardly stay quiet.

"I'm really sorry Mr. and Mrs. Bartowski," Devon clasps his hands and bows slightly. He only calls them that when he fears the worst. He just 'defiled' their daughter, so he cannot expect any gratitude.

"Was it worth it?" Mary asks.

Devon looks back at Ellie again. "Uh… I think so," he states unsurely, hoping Ellie will help him out. Luckily, she does just that.

"It was definitely worth it," she states with conviction.

"Now that we got that out of the way," Stephen changes the subject, "this is Arcade; we may call you that?"

"Yes," Arcade nods.

"So this is Arcade and he'll be helping us," Stephen finishes.

"Cool bro," Devon puts out his hand to shake. Arcade feels a bit awkward from being called 'bro'.

"Is it safe?" Arcade raises his eyebrows as he studies Devon's hand, but he shakes it anyways. He doesn't know what that hand was doing in that storage closet.

"I'm Devon."

"I'm Ellie," she waves from a few feet back.

"Hi," Arcade waves back.

/

"Alright Chuck," Sarah stands in front of the shooting range on the NCR base. "I'm going to teach you to shoot like a pro," she laughs as she hands him a pistol.

"Alright. As long as it doesn't cause bodily harm to me," Chuck quips.

"Don't worry. I'm saving that for the hand-to-hand training."

"Great," he drawls sarcastically.

"It's really not that hard once you get over the initial recoil," she aims her gun at the target fifty feet down the range. She fires three consecutive shots, all directly in the head of the target.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side," he quips.

"Stop it Chuck," she laughs. "You need to take this more serious."

"I think your bad side is quite serious," he jokes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asks seriously, losing the whole light-hearted air of their conversation.

"Well," Chuck swallows hard; scolding himself for saying that. "You kind of went crazy on those raiders the day after I first met you. Also the way you killed those slavers back at that other town. It was kind of scary."

Sarah is at a loss for words. She feels like she can trust Chuck with telling her past to him, but she has never told anyone before. Her mouth opens but no words come out.

"Sarah?" Chuck places his left hand on her right shoulder. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"No, you didn't," she finally talks again. "It is just a sore subject."

"So… how do I keep the gun so steady?" He changes the subject, making her like him even more. He never pushes her when she is uncomfortable and she loves that about him.

**/**

**I hope everyone enjoyed the reunion of the Bartowski's. This story is far from over, so don't think this is even close. Finding the elder Bartowski's was only part of their mission. Now, they need to help to fix the world. I know this is very Chuck/Sarah and hope you enjoy it as it will continue for another chapter.**

**I had to drop Arcade Gannon's name for those Fallout: New Vegas fans and the story with the Courier.**

**If there are any characters you want to see, let me know in a review. I was thinking of bringing in Carina, but not sure yet. I have always been a fan of her on the show and how she mixes things up. Lets hope for her to be in season 4 and have some awkward moments now that Chuck and Sarah are together.**

**Reviews are always helpful as they are like fuel for my writing. The more reviews, the more I feel like writing. Which in the long run, more chapters in less time.**


	8. Chuck Versus the First Training Session

**Very mature rating for this chapter. I hope you don't mind, but this will probably be the most explicit chapter I write, but no promises.**

**I do not own Chuck or Fallout. I am starting to get the feeling this is more of a Fallout story then a Chuck story, but I'll continue it in the Chuck fandom because it is cooler (How do I make a winking smiley face?)**

**Your reviews have been very helpful it making me continue to write this story.**

**Remember, Chuck and Sarah are only nineteen years old. Can you believe a barely legal Yvonne Strahovski? Uhh… That is an amazing thought.**

**/**

"So this is where you live?" Chuck asks as he looks around the desolate street. There is a street sign that displays _'Willaman Dr.'_

"Yep," Sarah smiles, "Welcome to Beverly Hills," she says in awe like it is a big deal.

"Beverly Hills?" Chuck asks with a furrowed brow. Obviously he hasn't heard of it.

"I decided to commandeer this house," she points to a purple-brown house that is two stories tall.

"Commandeer, huh?" Chuck quips.

"The previous owners weren't around, but they seemed like nice people."

"You didn't kill them, did you?" Chuck sucks in his breath in a gasp.

"No, they died hundreds of years ago, but there were some pictures and stuff. They looked like a nice family of three boys."

Chuck breathes a sigh of relief. "So you live here now?"

"Yea, I had to up the security just in case though."

"Why did you stay with us last night if you had a house?" Chuck asks with pure curiosity. Beverly Hills is directly next to New Angeles and is only a mile walk from the NCR barracks.

"I," Sarah blushes slightly, "I didn't want to leave you guys alone on your first night here."

"Thank you for that," Chuck smiles genuinely as he gets closer to her.

"You want to check it out?" Sarah asks with a childish enthusiasm.

"I'd love to," Chuck follows her into the house.

She gives him a tour of the house, showing off the three bedrooms that were most likely for the children. All three rooms were virtually clean with mattresses. She shows him the portrait of the family. There was a man in his fifties smiling with his wife around the same age. The children looked the ages of around twenty three, twenty one, and sixteen.

"They look happy together," Chuck muses.

"Yea, they look like one big happy family," Sarah sighs.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"No; only child," she says dejectedly and Chuck massages her shoulder soothingly. "Lets keep moving."

She leads Chuck into the master bedroom with its own bathroom, king-size bed, and a balcony.

"This is amazing," Chuck sighs in awe.

"Thanks, and the plumbing actually works," Sarah quips. "You can stay here if you want. There are plenty of bedrooms."

"I should probably get back to my parents. It is getting late," Chuck responds with slight disappointment.

"Exactly! It's getting late so you should stay here tonight. You're safe here and I have bedding to make a bed for you."

"If you insist," Chuck instantly gives in, wanting to spend more time with Sarah.

Sarah and Chuck make the bed in the bedroom next to hers. Hers is at the end of the hallway upstairs as Chuck's is just before and to the right with another bedroom and a bathroom on the left side.

Chuck stands over the bed with satisfaction. He feels they did a great job of putting a sheet and blanket on it with a pillow.

"Goodnight Chuck," Sarah slowly slips out of the bedroom and around the doorframe.

"Goodnight Sarah!" Chuck hollers as she disappears from site, feeling a little sad to see her gone.

Chuck tries to get comfortable and has to admit that the bed is way softer than at the barracks or the ground. The vault still wins, but he can live with it. He decides to relax and play some music on his pip-boy.

"Here's one of my favorites," the radio host says. His voice sounds like an lively, elder talk show host with some major enthusiasm (Regis Philbin). "The one and only King Cole…"

_Unforgettable, that's what you are._

_Unforgettable, though near or far._

_Like a song of love, that clings to me._

_How the thought of you does things to me._

_Never before has someone been more,_

As Chuck relaxes and lets the song flow through him, obviously thoughts of Sarah flooding his mind, she walks in slowly. His eyes are closed and his head is bobbing slightly to the music. Sarah feels herself drawn to him, or the music as she slowly steps closer to him.

_Unforgettable, in every way._

_And forever more, that's how you'll stay._

_That's why darling it's incredible, that someone so unforgettable thinks that I'm_

_Unforgettable too._

Sarah quietly gets to the bed, Chuck still not knowing she is in there. She slowly sits on the bed; the weight stirring Chuck from his mind as he opens his eyes to see Sarah sitting at the edge of his bed, looking into his eyes with her beautiful oceanic eyes that are glowing in the minimal moonlight in the room.

"Good song?" He asks.

"I've never heard it before, but I like it," she lays her hand on his shin over the blankets. "Can I lie down and listen?" She asks softly, not trusting her voice.

Chuck slides over and pulls down the blanket for Sarah to climb in. She gets under the blanket and pulls it up to her chest. She leans into Chuck's left side and closes her eyes, letting the music soothe her.

Chuck snakes his right arm around her shoulders and she accepts it by leaning in closer. She turns slightly towards him and slides her left hand across his chest without even realizing it. The music is so comforting and relaxing, her eyelids start to get heavy.

_Unforgettable in every way._

_And forever more, that's how you'll stay._

_That's why darling, it's incredible that someone so unforgettable thinks that I'm unforgettable too._

Sarah falls asleep before the end of the song; her head in the crook of his shoulder and chest. He brushes away a few strands of her hair that were blocking his view of her perfect face. She has a soft smile and Chuck slowly goes to turn off the radio so he could fall asleep without waking up Sarah.

"I think I love you," he whispers before letting himself fall asleep.

/

"I'm really sorry about earlier," Ellie says to her parents with her head down in shame.

"It's fine El," Mary smiles at her.

"I really like Devon," Ellie pleads.

"He is probably the most awesome guy you could find," Stephen quips.

"So you guys are okay with it?"

"Ellie, we love you," Mary states with conviction. "We want you to be happy. If he makes you happy, then we are happy."

"Just try to keep it in the bedroom," Stephen says. "I am a bit of a neat freak."

"That he is," Mary jokingly sighs.

"We have plenty of bedrooms in this building for you and your brother," Stephen explains.

"Where is Chuck?" Ellie asks.

"I saw him leave with Sarah," Mary supplies.

"I'm sure he'll be safe," Stephen says with slight undertones of humor.

"He really likes that girl Sarah," Ellie smiles.

"I thought so," Mary smiles, knowing how true that is just by the small looks she noticed from earlier.

"They are so cute together," Ellie squeals with happiness; taking full advantage of the change of subject from her and Devon.

"Is she trustworthy?" Stephen asks, looking out for his only son.

"She's the only reason why we got here in one piece," Ellie answers truthfully.

"That's good. He's probably safer than us," Mary jokes.

"I really missed you guys," Ellie hugs both of them all of a sudden.

"We missed you too," Mary says as she accepts the hug graciously.

/

Sarah's slowly awakes from her slumber realizing that she isn't flat. Her head and shoulder are against a fleshy pillow of some sorts. She rubs her left hand up and down without opening her eyes. She feels abdominal muscles up to chest muscles and a nipple. Her eyes fly open.

She almost jumps out of the bed as she looks at her pillow; which is not a pillow but a person. _Oh my god, we didn't_ Sarah thinks in panic. She tries to remember and as more memories of last night flood into her mind, her smile grows wider and she calms down.

She is still quite panicked as she has never woken up with another person in her bed before, let alone a man she is absolutely attracted to. She debates on getting up and leaving Chuck, or staying with his arm around her shoulders and hand on her back. She decides on the latter and closes her eyes again to revel in his touch.

It is short lived as Chuck wakes up. He scoots her a little closer to him and then brushes some hair from her face. His fingers tickle her cheek and she distorts her face. He notices and speaks up, "Good morning Sarah."

"Good morning Chuck. How'd you sleep?" She asks without looking up at him.

"Best sleep I've ever gotten," he says with a sense of awe. "How'd you sleep?"

"Perfectly," she looks up at him with a bright smile before climbing out of the bed. "You still want to train?"

"Yes, why?"

"Get up," she smirks evilly.

/

She walks him to a mat she has set in the downstairs bedroom as she never has guests anyways. Her hair is pulled back in a bun and she is wearing a white tank top and some short black shorts; allowing free motion of all her limbs and a pretty sight for Chuck unintentionally. Chuck follows behind in a plain white shirt and some gray shorts.

"Alright Chuck, I'm going to teach you some basic fighting skills."

"Okay…" he unsurely accepts, afraid of what she can actually do to him.

/

After an hour of teaching Chuck how to punch and block, Sarah moves onto takedowns.

"Alright Chuck, you need to really concentrate," she informs him.

_Like it's not hard enough when you're wearing that?_ Chuck asks himself in his mind but all he really does is nod.

"If you are close to them like this," she steps up right next to him. "Throw a punch."

"What?"

"Try to punch me in the face."

"But I don't want to."

"Chuck," she stresses, "I'll be fine."

"Fine," he says dejectedly before throwing a half-ass punch.

"At least try," she demands after dodging his first punch.

Chuck punches with almost all of his determination and power, but Sarah sweeps her right arm up; causing his punch to go disarray into the air. She quickly lunges her right foot past his feet and around them. With one swift move, she shoulder charges him; knocking him to the mat.

"Ugh," he groans as he hits the mat hard.

Sarah laughs as she walks up right next to him to help him up. He quickly sweeps her leg with his hand, making her fall to the mat hard. He quickly rolls on top of her; his breath slightly labored.

"You can never underestimate your opponent, Agent Walker," he quips with an arrogant tone.

"Very true," she smirks mischievously. Chuck furrows his brow for less than a second before she flips their positions.

"Whoa!" Chuck groans as she is now sitting on top of his chest and holding his wrists down with her hands. She is smiling down at him, her face mere inches from his.

He leans forward, sitting up; tossing her back into his lap. She wraps her legs around his stomach and lays back as her shoulders rest on his knees. His hands landing on the outsides of her thighs. His hands slowly slide down her thighs at a slower pace than a snail. His eyes lock with hers and he feels an odd sensation in his heart.

His hands slide up her thighs, nearing her shorts. She leans forward, pushing him back down to the mat; resting her hands on his chest. His hands slid up and are now cupping her ass cheeks under her shorts and over her panties.

Their eyes meet again and they both feel a sense of need for each other. Sarah's face is only an inch from his face and his eyes glance at her lips for a brief millisecond. She slowly licks her lips and leans closer to his face.

She slowly bends her head back, letting her lips barely graze Chuck's lips. As their lips part for the very, very brief touch, Chuck's lips pucker and follow her lips like a magnet as her head cocks back slightly. He whimpers from the loss of touch and she looks down into his eyes again; unaware that her lips are drawing closer to his.

Their lips finally touch slowly molding against each other's. The passion that fills both of them makes Sarah cup his cheeks and deepens the kiss as Chuck squeezes her ass cheeks gently and pulls her closer to him.

Their lips press against each other's tightly and part, allowing entrance to each other's tongues. They both duel for supremacy as they taste each other's breaths.

Chuck's hands slowly pull her shorts down and she quickly stands up, removing her lips from his. She quickly pulls the back of her shorts up and blushes intensely and looks away. Chuck lies there for a brief second of disbelief with his mouth still opened.

The silence is filled with sexual tension and awkwardness; both of them not knowing what to do.

Chuck finally speaks up after a few seconds, which felt like minutes. "Sarah?" He whispers as he looks at her from the mat. She turns away from him and doesn't respond.

He stands up and walks up behind her. "Sarah. What's wrong?"

"I, I can't," she sobs with sadness; still not looking at him.

"Why can't you?" Chuck has so many horrible possibilities go through his mind.

"I've never," she hesitates, "I've never done that before."

"I thought you were magnificent," he whispers in her ear from behind her.

"I've never been with someone before," she confesses with pure humiliation.

"Really?" He asks as he gently embraces her arms from behind in a comforting hug.

"That was the first time I kissed someone," she cries momentarily with embarrassment.

Chuck smiles from ear to ear while still comforting her. "Sarah, I've never been with someone either. You're only the second person I've ever kissed."

"Really?" She turns around to look at him with a renewed happiness.

"Yes," he nods with conviction. "I am just as scared as you, but I really, really like you."

"You do?" She looks up at him shyly with scrunched lips and worry.

"I've never wanted someone so bad in my life. You mean everything to me Sarah," he tells her in a hush tone.

"More than Ellie and your parents?" Sarah is surprised by his confession.

He nods his head slowly before leaning into a kiss. Their lips press again and this time, there are no thoughts of denial within both of their minds.

**It gets steamy and erotic; so be careful and don't say I didn't warn you. Major Mature rating for this section.**

Chuck's hands comb down her blonde hair, releasing it from the bun. It flows freely down onto her shoulders while their lips are still glued together and eyes are closed. Chuck's hands slide down her back to the bottom of her tank top.

He gently pinches the edges at the sides and slides her top up. She lifts her arms and releases her lips from his so he can take off her top. He pulls it over her head and allows it to float to the mat beside them; leaving her with just a bra on her top.

He gently unclasps her bra, letting it dangle on her shoulders. She looks down with fear at her breasts as she has never showed anyone them before. Chuck's hands slowly slide around to the front of her; gliding up her taut abs. His fingertips slip under the bottom of the bra; gently lifting it off her chest.

She breathes heavily as she starts to get a glimpse of her naked breasts under her bra. His fingers glide higher; now grazing her nipples as they harden from the pleasure. She whimpers softly as his hands lift the bra completely off.

"You're so beautiful," he whispers as he removes the bra completely; letting it fall to the mat. He cups her breasts and squeezes them gently, eliciting quiet moans from Sarah. He lets his hands glide down her chest and stomach, down to her shorts. He leans forward and lowers himself as he bends his legs.

He kisses her right breast, letting the nipple fit in his mouth. He gently tastes it with his tongue as he pulls down her shorts, leaving her with just her panties on. As he slides her shorts down to her ankles, he slides his hands back up her long, toned legs; trailing kisses along her stomach as he raises his lips back to her breasts; kissing her left breast.

His hands slide along the inside of her thighs, feeling the dampness of her arousal. His fingers glide over her groin, up to the waistband of her panties.

"Chuck," she barely whispers in so much pleasure. He looks up at her, trying to read her worried expression. "Please be gentle."

"I could never hurt you," he assures her with a friendly whisper. He takes her over to the bed that she luckily never got rid of in the room.

He lays her gently on the bed, letting her legs dangle off the edge and her back pressed against the sheets. He pulls his shorts and boxers off; letting Sarah see him and all his erect glory. She almost gasps at the sight as he removes her panties. He climbs onto the edge of the bed, spreading her legs slowly.

He gently lets his erection slide into her wet folds. She whimpers at the uncomfortable feeling of him inside her. "Don't worry. I'll be gentle," he whispers to her as he very slowly slides all the way in; her nether lips against his base.

He slowly slides in and out, making sure not to hurt Sarah in any way. Her face contorts at the different feelings: first uncomfortable, then pain and uneasiness, and finally pleasure.

She moans loudly and Chuck looks up at her scared that he may have hurt her. Her eyes are closed and her mouth is agape, so Chuck continues. "Ohh…" Sarah's voice trembles with pleasure as Chuck slides in and out of her.

She feels the warmth build inside her stomach, increasing with passion and desire. Her breathing starts to labor and her back arches as the warmth moves down to her groin. The pressure builds inside her and she doesn't know what to do. It is coming and she cannot stop it, so she gives into her body's desire to release itself.

"Ohh…" She moans shakily and throatily as her body releases the pent up pleasure; her walls clenching around his hard length. Her back arches back farther than she knew was possible; her nipples hard and perky, pointing at the ceiling.

Chuck squeezes both sides of her waist as he unleashes his passion that built up inside him. They both moan together as the pleasure exceeds all of their senses.

/

Minutes after their first orgasm, Chuck lays spent while Sarah lays spread eagle with even less energy. They are both fully nude and Chuck slides Sarah over and on top of him. She is too tired to retort as he cups her breasts and kisses her neck.

**The steam has settled but the dank air is still looming. I think this can be teen friendly, more or less.**

She can feel him against her ass as she lets him massage her breasts. "I love you Sarah," he whispers into her ear. She tenses up as a knot builds in her stomach. She doesn't know what to say. She has never felt love before, but she has never felt another man inside her either.

She isn't someone who openly expresses their feelings and doesn't want to say something she may regret. The last time she said 'I love you', was when she was eleven and her dad brought her a stuffed teddy bear after being gone for a week.

"I feel the same way, but it is hard for me to say," she explains in a hush tone as a tear drips down the left side of her face.

"I'm glad you feel that way," he kisses her cheek, capturing the tear that snuck its way out of her eye. She turns around and lays her chest against his and kisses him graciously before lying on top of him in content.

/

"Hey Mom, Dad," Chuck walks into his parent's lab. They are both working furiously. Sarah follows Chuck in with a bright smile on her face.

"Hey son," Stephen turns around. "It's good to see you again. What'd you guys do last night?"

"Just some training really. Sarah has a really nice house in Beverly Hills," Chuck answers, trying to hide his blush; although what happened was technically only a few hours ago.

"Hopefully he'll be able to defend himself and not cower behind me every time," Sarah quips as she pats Chuck on the back.

"That is very generous of you," Mary smiles. She can totally tell there is something going on between them; just by looking at their smiles.

"It's no problem really," Sarah waives away any need to pay her back. "How is your research going? Is there anything you need?"

"Not at the moment, but thanks," Stephen answers sincerely.

"Okay," Sarah turns to Chuck. "You want to train some more?"

"What kind of training?" Chuck asks with a sly smirk. Sarah blushes instantly as her cheeks turn rosy and she tries to hide a smile.

"Lets go Chuck," she grabs his arm after getting over the embarrassing comment.

"You kids have fun now," Mary yells out to them; knowing exactly what their 'training' entails.

After Chuck and Sarah leave, Mary turns to Stephen. "Those kids are madly in love, huh?"

"I'm not sure what you mean," Stephen explains.

"How could you not see the smiles on each other's faces, the loving looks at each other, the 'training'?" Mary deadpans.

"You're the expert on that stuff," Steven quips. "How else would you know how much I love you?" He leans in and kisses her neck.

"Stop it," Mary giggles as he kisses her neck.

/

The next week, training has gone very well. Chuck is learning how to defend himself and how to fire handguns. Sarah is afraid to let him use any bigger of a weapon. The thought of big guns reminds Chuck of Casey and makes Chuck feel sad. Even if Casey was nothing more than an ass-kicking tour guide, he was still Chuck's first friend in the wasteland.

Chuck has been thoroughly happy throughout. He and Sarah go out to check up on Morgan occasionally; sometimes Ellie goes too, if they can tear her from Devon. Ellie and Devon are totally inseparable. All they do is make love and help the elder Bartowski's.

Morgan has been great. He loves his new Buy More outfit of a green polo and brown slacks and has become one of the Buy Morians. He even met a girl he likes. Her name is Anna and she loves how ignorant and cheery Morgan is. Buy Moria is still very generous and friendly. Jeff and Lester are still just as creepy as ever.

Now that Chuck can finally shoot a gun on target, he has gone on some nonviolent scavenge missions with Sarah. Sarah is so contented with Chuck and she loves him more than she thought was possible; even if she doesn't tell him, he understands. Their love making has become less one-sided and she has been opening up to him sexually and emotionally.

Chuck and Sarah step into The Bartowski's lab, wondering if there is anything they need. The Bartowski's have taken Sarah in as family because they know how much she cares about Chuck and vice versa.

"Guys," Chuck asks, "is there anything you need?"

"Actually," Stephen turns to Sarah, "to get the G.E.C.K. to work, we are going to need an abundance of materials."

"We'll do anything we can to help," Sarah insists Stephen to explain the details.

"We have records of G.E.C.K.'s being enlisted into vaults but this was only on the east coast. If you didn't know, most vaults were actually experiments and we believe Vault 4 has seeds and fertilizer needed to create plant life."

"Was the vault Ellie and I born in an experiment?" Chuck asks.

"Technically, Ellie was born outside the vault, but she was only a few months old when we decided to raise her in the vault," Stephen explains.

"Really?" Chuck's eyes widen.

"We wanted her to be safe and we knew that vault would be safe enough for her to grow up in," Mary explains.

"The experiment they had there was the inhabitants were only of Christian faith," Stephen explains.

"I never noticed," Chuck tries to remember any signs but cannot.

"Hey, at least it wasn't all Jews or you would've ran out of air years ago," Sarah jokes. Everyone breaks out in a fit of laughs.

"Oh my god," Chuck puts his hand on her shoulder to recover from laughing. "Sarah, was that a joke!"

"Yea, so," Sarah doesn't see the fascination. She doesn't realize that it is the first real joke she has ever really said.

"You're amazing, you know that?" Chuck kisses her on the cheek.

"Now I do," she smiles at him.

"Seriously though," Mary recuperates from the fit of laughter, "Vault 4 was created to grow plants in abundance using artificial light."

"As far as we know, the vault has not been opened yet," Stephen finishes.

"So, we'll get into the vault and recover all the research, fertilizers, and seeds," Sarah suggests.

"Exactly, but we don't know any of the dangers around the vault. It is underneath the Santa Monica Pier."

"We'll handle it, don't worry," Chuck smiles at his parents.

"Wait, Chuck, you're not going," Mary almost demands.

"What do you mean? I want to help you guys," Chuck pleads.

"It's too dangerous son," Stephen argues.

"You just said you don't know if it is even dangerous!" Chuck throws his hands up. Sarah stands off to the side, not wanting to interfere with 'family bonding'.

"You're our only son," Mary argues sympathetically. "I don't know what we would do if we lost you."

"I want to do this," Chuck states with conviction; trying not to let Mary's tears convince him. "I need to help you guys and I'm no scientist like Devon and Arcade."

Stephen knows it is a losing battle, so he walks up to Chuck and clutches his shoulder with his left hand. "Son, if you're going to do this, promise me you'll have enough firepower and backup."

"What? How could you let him go?" Mary shouts at Stephen.

"He's made up his mind," Stephen tells Mary.

"I promise Dad. Sarah and I will have all the backup the NCR can give," Chuck nods.

"I guess that will be sufficient," Stephen says a little dejectedly.

"I'll be fine, I promise," Chuck hugs his Stephen. "I love you Dad."

"I love you too, son."

"I love you Mom," Chuck hugs Mary next.

"Please be safe Chuck," Mary pleads with sorrow. "I love you too much to lose you again."

"I will."

"Please make sure he's safe," Mary pleads to Sarah.

"I promise to do everything I can to protect Chuck. I care about him too," Sarah wraps an arm around Chuck's upper arms.

"Goodbye son," Stephen says.

"Goodbye," he and Sarah leave the laboratory.

**/**

**I'm not racist or prejudice (okay, maybe a little, but who isn't?). the Jewish joke was meant to be light-hearted and I mean no offense by it. I am Jewish myself, so don't get mad at me.**

**I am sorry if the sex scene went too far. I didn't originally plan on making this chapter almost purely a porno but I wanted to make sure their first time was slow and special. If the sex went too far, again I am sorry. The action will be back again, especially when Chuck and Sarah get some help.**

**Reviews are essential for this story to continue, so of all you hundreds of people that don't review, shame on you.**

**In all seriousness, reviews make my day when I see those new emails in my inbox. So if you would be so gracious as to leave one… or five, it would be greatly appreciated.**


	9. Chuck Versus the Green Snakes

**I do not own Chuck or Fallout.**

**Thanks for all the reviews so far. They really make me want to keep writing, but I am going to update one last time after this until around January tenth hopefully.**

**/**

Chuck and Sarah are both packed and ready to go. Graham gave them the go ahead to venture into the vault and find what the Bartowski's need. They will go ahead and a backup team will guard the entrance of the vault to make sure no one comes in or out.

"You ready for this?" Sarah asks Chuck. They are outside the NCR base.

"I was born ready. Well, not really, but yea, I'm ready," he quips.

"Lets get moving," Sarah gives him a peck on the lips.

"Not without me," Casey appears out of nowhere. "Looks like you finally consummated it," he quips.

"So how'd it go?" Sarah asks with a goofy smile after being caught in the act of kissing Chuck.

"I want to help out your mission," Casey dodges the answer.

"It would be my honor," Chuck exaggeratedly bows.

"I see he's still a moron," Casey quips to Sarah.

"He's quite formidable now. I taught him a few things," Sarah informs Casey.

"So can he shoot without facing death first?"

"Well I hope so," Sarah answers.

"I'm right here guys," Chuck deadpans.

"Shut it; the adults are having a conversation," Casey growls.

"I'm glad you think so highly of me," Chuck scoffs.

"He's a good shot. Now lets drop it and get on with the mission. You're welcome to join," Sarah demands as she starts to get fed up.

"Lead the way," Casey scoffs as he points off into space.

/

After walking along Santa Monica Boulevard for a long while, they finally turn the corner to Colorado Avenue where destroyed buildings litter the sides of the road.

"Sarah?" Chuck whispers as Casey is just ahead of them. She looks over at him. "Do you know what happened with Casey?"

"I don't think it went well," she whispers back.

"Should we ask him?"

"No. Don't ask and try not to be so affectionate in front of him."

"But I love you," he jokingly complains in a whisper, not realizing that every time he says it, she thinks that he wants to hear it back and it hurts her to not be able to say it back when she definitely feels it.

She smiles and blushes slightly but doesn't say anything. _Say it! It isn't that hard. Damn!_ Sarah scolds herself. Instead, she gives him a peck on the cheek and she rubs his upper arm. Chuck looks a little disappointed but he hides it well.

"Looks like we're almost at the Pier," Casey informs them, breaking them from their moment as the ocean is in their line of vision off in the distance.

/

After the long trek to Santa Monica, the sun has started to descend and sunset has stricken. They get to the Pier. The sign is still up and the wooden planks are frail and splintered. The end of the pier is sunken; the Ferris wheel is half under water and rusted; the roller coaster is in pieces and the tracks split and rusted.

"This is amazing," Chuck says in awe. "Have you ever been to the ocean before?" He asks Sarah. The water is a teal blue color.

"A couple times, but never like this," Sarah answers.

"Isn't it beautiful?" The sunset has caused the sky to turn to a reddish pink mixed with the slight green from the wasteland.

"It is," she molds up against him.

"You kids have your fun. I'll set up camp in front of the vault," Casey says, not wanting them near him at all with all their 'lady feelings' pouring out of them.

"Are you sure Casey?" Sarah asks.

"I'll be fine."

"Thanks," both Chuck and Sarah walk along the battered, worn pier until the last plank that is not sunken. They both sit on the plank and let their feet dangle off the edge.

"This is such an amazing sight," Chuck smiles at Sarah.

"I've never noticed how beautiful it could be," she hugs him tightly. She never would have noticed it if it wasn't for him. He kisses her on the cheek.

"Yea and it's so relaxing," he strokes her hair once. She snuggles closer to him and they listen to the waves crashing along the shore. "The ocean is the color of your eyes," he gazes into her wondrous eyes lovingly. She has never heard something so romantic and she melts from his compliments.

"Chuck?" Sarah asks quietly.

"Hmm?"

"I love you," she kisses him on the lips. "I know it shouldn't have taken this long for me to say but…" she trails off.

"I love you too," he smiles from ear to ear. "It means so much to me to hear you say that. Now get your cute little butt over her," he pats his lap.

She scrunches her lips in a childish smile and climbs onto his lap Santa style. She wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him on the lips and he holds her against him in a warm embrace.

/

They find the vault entrance just under the beginning of the pier. They walk into a gated door that leads underground and into a tunnel. Twenty feet down the tunnel is the vault entrance. There is a large '4' on the gear-like door to the vault. Casey is just inside by the vault door, leaning along the wall.

"Nice of you to join me," Casey quips.

"We were just enjoying the ocean. I've never seen it before," Chuck informs him.

"Was it all you ever dreamed of?" Casey scoffs.

"It was amazing," Chuck holds Sarah close to him and stares into her mystical blue eyes.

"I haven't been in the vault yet, but it doesn't seem tampered," Casey informs them.

"We need to get in there," Sarah demands sincerely.

Casey presses a button on the panel next to the vault door and the door shifts; dust falling from the creases. "Abra kadabra," he scoffs.

The gear-shaped door slides back and then to the left. The inside of the vault is full of plants and vines; wrapped around every railing and all the walls.

"Whoa," Chuck's eyes widen at the amount of plant life.

They venture in, Casey first, then Sarah, and last Chuck; using their tactical knives to cut away the vines and shrubbery in their way. They walk down a hallway that is lined with vines with green leaves along them.

"This place gives me the creeps," Chuck shivers at the sight of the vines. "It looks like a bunch of green snakes." They follow the hallway through an open door that cannot shut because of all the vines in the way.

"There's a computer over there," Sarah points to a room on the right. They walk in; the ground covered with weeds growing a few inches from the ground.

"Lets see if we can get anything off it," Casey leans into the computer as he boots it up; the computer is dusty and vines are wrapped around it. The room is dark except for the light from the computer giving a light glow to the rest of the room.

"Gah! That vine just moved!" Chuck shouts with terror as he points in the darkest corner of the room. Both Sarah and Casey look at where Chuck's finger is pointing but there is no motion.

"Chuck. Calm down," Sarah lays her hand on his shoulder. "You're seeing things."

"You're probably right. This place is just so creepy," Chuck breathes slowly to relax himself.

After typing furiously on the computer, Casey learns that the vault was doing well and producing its own oxygen through the plants but the plants wouldn't stop growing. He finds out where the plantation lab is.

"I know where to go," Casey updates them as he heads out of the plant-infested room.

They walk through a doorway into a main area with adjoining rooms; one is a kitchen and another is a classroom. Both are crawling with vegetation. They cautiously walk straight ahead and down a stairway. They get to the bottom of the stairway and turn right.

"Oomph!" Chuck groans as Casey and Sarah look back to see him on the ground, face down.

"Come on idiot," Casey rolls his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Sarah gives out her hand to help him up.

"I swear that vine wasn't there a second ago," Chuck complains worriedly as he looks at his foot and the vine is tightly strung across the hallway. They find another room with a working computer. Casey walks up to it and brushes away the dust and shrubbery on it.

"Maybe this will give us some answers," he muses as he searches the files on it. He finds journal logs and plays the first one.

"_Dr. Matthews. January 12, 2368. The plants are growing to outstanding amounts. We didn't realize the potential of these plants."_

Next log plays…

"_Dr. Matthews. February 24, 2368. The plants just keep growing. It is getting hard to contain. Every time we trim them, they grow back in the next few hours."_

The next log plays…

"_Dr. Matthews. March 12, 2368. The vines have grown into the ventilation. People are reporting that it is alive, but that is just ridiculous."_

The next log plays…

"_Dr. Matthews. March 30, 2368. People are reporting that the plant-life is attacking them. These accusations are ridiculous. Plants attacking people? Ha!"_

The next log plays…

"_Dr. Matthews. April 20, 2368. The vines are growing everywhere. People have been reported missing. I don't like this. Not one bit."_

The last log plays…

"_The vines are attacking!" Matthews voice is stressed and in terror._

"_Ahh!" A female voice echoes with terror from a distance into the recording._

"_It's attacking people and growing inside them! If you ever get this, be careful! The plants are alive and evil! Ahh!" The recording goes silent for a few seconds._

"_End of transmission from absence of sound," a computerized female voice says._

"Ahh!" Chuck screams as a vine wraps itself around his ankle and lifts him up; foot first. Chuck and Sarah turn around to see Chuck dangling upside down. "Help!"

"Chuck!" Sarah cries as she flips her tactical knife so she pinches the edge of the blade and tosses it. The knife whizzes through the air and cuts the vine completely off and sticks into the wall behind it. Chuck falls ungracefully on his head.

"Ugh," he groans as he rubs his bruised head. "I told you they were moving!"

"We have to keep moving!" Casey shouts as Sarah helps Chuck up quickly and grabs her knife.

They run through the infested hallways, turning right and then left; dodging the many vines along their path. They kick their legs out of the vines trying to wrap themselves around their legs. They make it to a door that is closed and locked. The sign above it reads _'Vacuum Sealed'_ above the door.

"We need to get in there!" Casey shouts hastily.

"I'll try to pick the lock. Watch my back," Sarah tells them. She kneels in front of the door with a bobby pin.

Chuck and Casey both look around the hallway, seeing the vines moving slowly like a thousand snakes stalking their prey. "Is that a skeleton?" Chuck asks as his eyes drift to the right.

"Damn," Casey muses. There is a spine with vines wrapped around it; the ribs having vines poking through the gaps; the skull is missing the jaw and the vine is slithering out of the eyeball.

The vines creep closer and Chuck starts to worry. Casey knows they are running out of time. "Hurry up Walker!" He demands.

"I…" she drawls as she wiggles the bobby pin in the lock, "got it!" She shouts as she pushes into the room, letting Chuck and Casey fall in behind her. She quickly shuts it, the door re-sealing, and through the window on the door, they watch the vines slowly cover the door.

"That was close," Chuck wipes some sweat from his brow with his forearm.

"These plants are fucking crazy," Casey angrily grunts as he turns around to see Sarah looking at two refrigerators that hold every sample of fertilizer and seeds they could possibly need.

"This is what we need," Sarah informs them.

"How are we supposed to get out?" Chuck asks as the window on the door is completely covered in shrubbery.

"Where's a flamer when you need one," Casey grunts.

"All I have are frag grenades," Sarah tells Casey.

"Hey, this room is air sealed, right?" Chuck asks.

"That's what it said," Sarah answers, curious to where Chuck is going.

"If we could somehow get a fire to ignite the whole vault, then all the plants would burn to death and this room will be safe because it is air sealed."

"You're a genius!" Sarah jumps into Chuck's arms and kisses him hard on the lips.

"How the hell do you propose we do that?" Casey asks. He knows it is a smart plan but they have no flammable items with them.

"Is there anything flammable in here?" Chuck asks. Sarah climbs off of him and they all look around the large laboratory. "Wouldn't they have had something flammable just in case something like this happened?" Chuck asks after looking around for a little while.

"I found something," Sarah tells them as she is bent over and looking inside a cupboard. The first thing Chuck sees is her perfect ass and smiles before she pulls out a large white tank.

"That looks like propane," Casey muses.

"Can we use it?" Chuck asks.

"It should be flammable enough," Sarah says after placing it on the empty lab table in the middle of the room.

"Okay, so how do we get it to explode?" Chuck asks.

"This is the best part," Casey smirks as he steps up to it. "We tape a grenade to it and toss it out there."

"That's a good plan," Chuck nods.

"Humph," Casey grunts satisfactorily.

After they jury-rig their explosive device, they get ready to carry out their plan. "Alright," Sarah explains the strategy to them, "I am going to pull open the door and Casey, you pull the pin and toss out the tank. Chuck, you will cut away any vines that block the doorway." They both nod at the solid plan.

"Make sure you turn the gas on the tank first," Chuck tells Casey. "That way, the explosion will be smaller and the fire will travel farther."

"Good idea Bartowski," Casey says.

"I'm not a moron anymore?" Chuck jokingly cheers. "I'm moving up in the world!"

"Can it moron," Casey retorts.

"And now I'm back to moron," Chuck exaggeratedly drops his shoulders in depression. Sarah chuckles as she lays a hand on Chuck's shoulder before heading for the door.

"You guys ready?" Sarah asks.

"Yea," Casey holds the tank and his finger looped in the pin of the grenade.

"Ready!" Chuck stands with a knife in both hands.

"Three," Sarah counts down. "Two," she turns the handle as Casey opens the gas valve. "One," Case y pulls the pin and holds the handle of the grenade down. "Now!"

Sarah opens the door quickly. Casey tosses the propane tank as far as he can away from their room and down the hallway. Sarah pushes the door shut but the vines are in the way. "Chuck!" She shouts and he starts slicing the vines in the way.

"Hurry!" Casey yells as he and Sarah are both pushing against the door with all their strength. Chuck takes his knife and runs it along the handle side of the door swiftly; sliding it across the lock bolt. This got rid of the vines in the way and the door shuts finally with an exhale of air to indicate that it is air tight again.

Before they can even breathe a sigh of relief, the grenade explodes, causing the propane tank and gas to ignite. They all instinctively hold their heads down between their knees while in their seated positions against the door. The explosion shakes the ground around them and the fire bursts through the hallways, charring anything in its path. The blaze hits the door they are hunched against and then flies back out, looking for another exit.

After a minute, they all look through the window to see the hallway filled with burnt and crispy vines; ash floating around the atmosphere with no general direction.

"We did it Chuck!" Sarah kisses him on the lips. "That was amazing!"

"Thanks," he shrugs with a wide smile.

"Now lets get the hell out of here. I'm starting to get the creeps," Casey quips matter-of-factly while agreeing with Chuck's earlier comment.

/

Their pathway back was simple as all the vines were totally burned away around the bottom floor that they were on. They rushed through the common area and through the entrance of the vault. They make it outside to see a group of six NCR soldiers posted around the door to the tunnel.

As they make it outside, all the soldiers stand at attention. "At ease men," Casey orders.

"What the hell was that tremor?" The leader of the backup squad asks with a worry you would only find in a rookie soldier. He is wearing NCR face wrap armor and a helmet with goggles, so you cannot see his face. He has very dark brown, beady eyes that give him an aura of arrogance and self-confidence.

"Had to blow up a propane tank with a grenade," Chuck informs them.

"Do you have a flamer?" Casey asks.

"Yes sir!" Two men chant as they step forward. They have two large packs on their back that hold two fuel tanks. There is a tube that connects to the large gun in their hands.

"The placed is littered with plants," Sarah informs them.

"You need to burn your way through. Be careful. That shit fights back," Casey tells them.

"The supplies we need are inside the vacuum sealed room through the common area and down the stairs," Sarah informs them.

"Yes ma'am," they all chant and head into the tunnel and vault.

"What now?" Chuck asks innocently.

"We either go back or set up camp here," Sarah gives him the options.

"I'm pretty spent; no matter how much I love sleeping in a bed," he winks at Sarah and she blushes.

"We'll stay inside the tunnel tonight," Casey orders nicely as they walk back in.

/

Chuck is lying with his back against the rocky wall of the tunnel. Sarah is sitting between his open legs and her back against his chest and her head on his shoulder. Casey is on the other side is in a similar position as Chuck. Chuck's arms are wrapped around Sarah's chest, giving her warmth and safety.

"Thank you for leaving that vault Chuck," Sarah says softly.

"Why?" He asks innocently.

"Because then I would have never met you," she confesses with emotion.

"In that case, you're welcome. I'm glad I left too, but I think we have to thank my parents for leaving in the first place."

She turns so her right shoulder is against Chuck's chest and her head resting on his left shoulder. "When we get back, I want to thank them," she kisses him on the lips gently. He reciprocates with a kiss to her forehead as she relaxes her head again.

"Ugh," Casey grunts. "You're gonna make me sick. Why don't you thank them for having sex twenty years ago while you're at it?"

"Maybe I will," Sarah jokes before turning serious. "Casey, what happened with your old girlfriend?" She asks after the curiosity got the better of her.

"How do you think it went?" Casey scoffs admonished.

"We're here if you want to talk about it," Chuck confesses in a friendly manner.

"Good to know," Casey mocks sarcastically.

"Casey, we're being serious. You have helped us a lot and it is only fair to help a fellow partner out," Sarah tells him.

Casey sits there for a few seconds of pondering. He was just called her partner. He is honored, although he would never tell her that. He also knows that it is not good to keep the anger inside him, but he has a reputation of a 'hard ass' to keep.

"She said I was too late," Casey confesses with a sigh of relief. Now they'll stop pestering him; at least he hopes.

"She said no?" Chuck asks for reassurance.

"Yes, dumbass."

"You don't need to take the anger out on me," Chuck raises his hands in surrender as he cautiously tells him.

"You're right. You did good today Bartowski," Casey admits. Sarah and Chuck's eyes widen at the surprise praise.

"That means a lot coming from you."

"Yea, so don't forget it because it's never gonna happen again."

"Alright," Chuck chortles and Sarah joins him. "She obviously doesn't deserve a sweet, gentle man like you."

"You know there's nothing stopping me from killing you Bartowski!"

"I won't let you hurt him," Sarah declares with conviction.

"Sticking up for the nerd. Did I miss the first time?" Casey jokes. Chuck's eyes dart nervously to Casey in a flash.

"Yea! And it was fucking amazing!" Sarah retorts with anger because she is fed up with Casey's insults. Chuck's eyes widen and he stretches his lower lip in awkwardness.

"Humph," Casey retreats and tries to get some sleep. "Get some sleep."

"Will do boss," Chuck salutes mockingly. "Ow!" Sarah elbows him in the stomach and stares daggers at him for constantly pestering Casey. "Sorry," he mumbles in defeat and her scowl turns to an adorable smile.

Sarah snuggles closer to Chuck and nuzzles her head in his neck and shoulder and kisses his neck. "Goodnight Chuck."

"Goodnight my love," he whispers as he kisses her forehead. She feels butterflies in her stomach as he calls her that, but it is shortly felt as Casey's grunt brings her back down to earth. She ignores Casey's rudeness and smiles into Chuck's chest and falls asleep peacefully.

/

"Sir," the squad leader wakes Casey up. "We've collected all the samples needed."

"Good job. Lets get it all back. Any casualties?" Casey asks.

"No sir. The flamers were enough to burn them completely."

"Good," Casey stands up to go wake up Chuck and Sarah.

"I love that tight little butt of yours," Chuck mumbles in his sleep. Casey rolls his eyes as the squad leader behind him snickers.

"Wake up moron," he shakes Chuck violently.

"Wha, wha, what the hell?" His voice raises and lowers like a rollercoaster from the violent shaking. He was having a great dream and dislikes being forcibly awoken like that.

"Wake up. We need to get back."

"Oh, alright." He looks down at the blonde mass against his chest and gently shakes Sarah by her shoulder. "Sarah, baby, we need to wake up now," he softly informs her. Casey and the soldier leave to round up the rest of the squad.

"I was kind of enjoying you as a pillow," she smiles up at him.

"Sorry, but they got all the supplies needed and we should head home. You can use me as a pillow when we get back," he smiles from ear to ear.

"It's a deal," she climbs off of him with a huge dopey smile gracing her flawless face.

**/**

**I don't really know what to put for this author's note, except for please review. I am on my knees begging right now. My hands are clapped together in front of my face and tears are brimming. Pretty please with a cherry on top?**

**One more update will be on Friday and then the nest one will not be until around January 10****th****. Not only is there a lack of reviews (a small part) but I am going out of town for ten days and won't be able to write.**


	10. Chuck Versus the Beginner's Luck

**I do not own Chuck or Fallout. Is it even necessary to put this before each chapter?**

**Thanks for the reviews so far. I am appalled and in awe by the boost of reviews I got from last chapter and just have to say that you guys are totally awesome like Captain Awesome!**

**/**

They make it back to New Angeles with all the fertilizers and seeds they were tasked to acquire. Chuck, Sarah, and Casey lead the backup squad that carried the samples into the Bartowski's lab.

"Mom! Dad!" Chuck exclaims with happiness. Mary bolts up to him and gives him a crushing hug.

"Thank god you're alright," she sighs with relief.

"Yea," he groans from the tight hug collapsing his lungs. "We got everything you needed and I can't… breathe…"

"Sorry," Mary releases him, only to be tackled into another bear hug by Ellie.

"Never do that again!" Ellie demands as she tightens the grip.

"You're… killing… me," Chuck barely speaks. Ellie lets him go and smiles at him. Sarah gets a nice chuckle out of it.

"We have all the samples we could collect from the vault." Chuck points to the squad leader.

"Where would you like them?" The squad leader asks; he is still wearing the face wrap that covers up to his nose.

"That's great. Just put them over there for now," Stephen points to an empty table. "Did you run into any trouble?"

"Nothing we couldn't handle," Chuck quips.

"I'm glad you're safe son."

"I am too," Chuck then looks over to Devon and Arcade. "Hey Devon. Hey Arcade." Arcade waves curtly.

"What you just did was awesome bro," Devon high fives Chuck.

"Well, I had help," Chuck glances at Sarah and Casey.

"This will really help to build the G.E.C.K.," Mary informs everyone.

"Is there anything else you need at this time?" Sarah asks.

"We need to figure what device could make these samples grow," Stephen says as he takes all the samples off the soldiers.

"Alright," Chuck smiles before leaving them to their work. Sarah and Casey follow him out.

"Hey Casey?" Sarah asks.

"What?" Casey grunts.

"Shouldn't you check in with the General and let her know you are re-enlisting?"

"I guess I probably should," Casey unsurely answers.

"Hey big guy, you'll be getting paid then," Chuck quips.

"I'm not in it for the money Bartowski. A true patriot doesn't care about money."

"Just saying," Chuck dejectedly quiets down.

"I think you should report in. It cannot hurt, right?" Sarah suggests.

"Yea, we'll see," he grunts.

/

"So…" Sarah drawls out innocently after they get back to her house. "You said something about being a pillow for me?"

"I didn't forget. Remember, I don't forget promises," he quips as he lifts her in his arms. She giggles happily as she wraps her arms around his neck.

He carries her upstairs and into the master bedroom. He tosses her on the bed playfully and climbs over her, kissing her on the lips.

After a few rounds of pleasure, both of them lay spent on the wrangled bed sheets. Sarah is using Chuck's chest as a pillow. He is stroking her hair as he stares at the ceiling, thinking how great his life is now that he has his parents back and the best thing that could have ever happened in his life, Sarah Walker.

"Chuck," she asks softly; quite tired from the multiple orgasms she just had with Chuck.

"Hmm?"

"What do you want to do tomorrow?"

"I don't know," he answers unsurely.

"We should go out and do something."

"Oh, so we can't just stay in bed and make love over and over?" He jokingly asks and she quickly spins herself so she is now laying on him chest to chest.

"I'm being serious," she says through her laughter.

"Me too. You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," his voice carries a serious tone that Sarah didn't expect.

"Do you really think that?" She asks curiously.

"Yes!" he pulls her head down and kisses her on the lips forcibly. "I'm surprised you're even still with me. You could have anyone in the world!"

"What?" She was caught off-guard by his words. "I don't care who I can 'get'," she puts a scoffing emphasis on the word. "I love you Chuck. You make me feel safe, loved, you never get mad at me, you always care more about others. Do you need me to go on?" She looks right into his eyes to convey her truth.

"That would be nice," he smiles from ear to ear. "And you're not good at saying your feelings," he scoffs.

"What can I say? You bring it out of me," she kisses his lips.

"And that's one of the million reasons I love you," he deepens the kiss.

"So what do you want to do tomorrow?"

"Well, I've never been to a brothel."

"Chuck!" She hits him in the chest playfully.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," he assures her hastily as he wraps his arms around her. "You're the only woman I could ever want."

"You better be," she says half truthful and half joking. It would break her heart if he left her.

"I would kind of like to know what a casino is like."

"Sounds like fun," she kisses him on the lips and lays her head on his chest. "We'll go tomorrow night after a nice grueling training session," she laughs.

"Yay," he sarcastically cheers. "Goodnight my love," he kisses the top of her head.

"Goodnight my pillow," she smiles to herself as she wraps her arms around his stomach; laying the left side of her face against his right chest.

/

After their 'grueling' training session, Chuck is exhausted and too lazy to get off the mat from his spread eagle pose.

"That was not fair," he complains out of breath and sweat forming a u-shape down to his stomach. "You used a pressure point to beat me."

"Well, maybe you're just so good, that I had to cheat," she quips with a scrunched up smile while standing over Chuck's head.

"That's still not fair," he argues with a comical tone.

"You want to take a shower before your endeavor into the unknowns?" She jokes.

"Just dump a bucket of water on me. I can't move."

"Well, I guess I'll just have to take a shower alone," she feigns disappointment. "Whoever is going to get back… side?" She wriggles out of her training shorts, shaking her ass directly above Chuck's face, and tosses them on top of his face. He pulls the shorts away to see right in between her legs; her feet on both sides of his head. She is just wearing some tight panties that are barely transparent.

"I wouldn't miss you for the world!" He cheers as he quickly gets up, ignoring the pain in all his muscles. She laughs whole-heartedly while holding her stomach.

/

"First Recon Sniper Major Casey reporting in for duty ma'am," Casey salutes and stands at attention in General Beckman's tent inside the Gerstad camp inside an old baseball stadium (The origin of the name comes from the sign 'Dodger Stadium' with the 'Dod" and 'ium' missing).

"What happened out there?" the short red-haired General demands through clenched teeth. "You just disappeared after the sanction order."

"I had issues to deal with," he answers truthfully.

"Are these issues still a problem?"

"No ma'am. I am completely undeterred now."

"I shouldn't be allowing you to come back after that stunt," she pinches her nose in frustration, "but we need every soldier we can get."

"If I may ma'am, Director Graham is working to get the G.E.C.K. online and I would like to request your permission to work with Agent Walker in the task."

"I am aware of the assignment, but that isn't normal procedure," Beckman seethes.

"I am aware of that ma'am, but I owe Agent Walker for my return to duty and her mission is an opportunity for me to show my gratitude towards her."

"You're not going to profess your love for this woman, are you?" Beckman shakes her head in annoyed disbelief.

"No ma'am. She is in love with another man and I have no feelings of any kind other than appreciation. It is strictly a professional relationship," he conveys as much truth as he can in his stance and tone being serious in nature.

"Does Graham know about their relationship?"

"I believe so ma'am. There is no need in retelling him."

Very well," Beckman sighs. "I will inform Graham of your assistance for the mission."

"Thank you General," Casey shifts awkwardly as he hesitates to say something else.

"Is there anything else?"

"Can you keep my confession of gratitude towards Agent Walker discrete between you and me?"

"I will keep it off the records," Beckman nods with a slight smirk. She knows how much pride Casey has.

"Thank you ma'am," he nods and walks out.

/

Chuck is wearing a suit. Yea, a suit! Something he didn't even know still existed, but Sarah found it one day and just had to buy it for Chuck a few days ago. He has the suit jacket on and he is trying to figure out the tie when Sarah walks out of the bathroom wearing a reddish pink, salmon dress that hugs her curves perfectly. There are thin spaghetti straps that hold the dress around her breasts and shoulders. She was even able to find some make-up that she lightly dabbed on her cheeks.

"How do I look?" She asks self-consciously. Chuck's eyes are wider than saucers, his eyebrows are raised, and his mouth is agape with shock. After the Chuck sits still for a few seconds, she speaks up. "Chuck? Hello?" She steps closer.

"Wha?" He shakes his head to get out of his faze. "Oh my god," he sighs with pure amazement and Sarah starts to smile. "You look…" he trails off with his hands in front of him trying to express what words cannot.

"Good?" She steps closer until she is a foot away from him.

"Ya, yea," he nods his head vigorously; still not able to come up with a word to describe the utter perfection before him.

"You look quite dapper yourself," she pulls him down by his tie and kisses him briefly before wrapping his tie around his neck. He has a goofy, wide-eyed smile.

"Where did you find such a beautiful dress?" He asks in bewilderment. She starts flipping the tie around as his eyes just glue to her face and the whole tying the tie looks like a blur in his peripherals.

* "This old thing?" She scoffs. "I found it one day while scavenging some old warehouse on Alameda Avenue in Burbank somewhere. I think it was a theatre studio or something."

"Well you look amazing it in."

"Thank you," she finishes tying his tie. "All done," she pulls him into her by his tie and kissing him softly on the lips. "Ready to go?" she smiles brightly at him.

"After you milady," he bows and points towards the door with an odd accent she has never heard of. She laughs as she heads out the door with him in tow.

/

Chuck walks into the 'El Capitan Casino' with Sarah wrapped around his arm. The bright and flashing lights assault his eyesight and he smiles in awe. Sarah gives him a peck on the cheek, feeling so happy being with him.

The casino is a large theater room with the theatre chairs stripped and filled with different gambling games. There are tables for roulette, craps, blackjack, and poker. There are also slot machines with people trying to win money.

Chuck and Sarah walk up to the cashier to get some chips. "Fifty chips," Sarah smiles at the cashier as she hands over one hundred bottle caps.

"Thank you and good luck tonight," the cashier says after the exchange.

"Thank you," Sarah and Chuck turn to gaze across all the different games they could play. "So, what game would you like to try first?"

"Definitely not craps. That just sounds… well, crappy," Chuck quips. "I mean who calls a game 'craps'? It just makes you want to shy away from it."

"I get it," Sarah stops him sincerely through her fit of laughter. "How about roulette first?"

"Alright, but what's roulette?"

"Lets go," she pulls on his arm as they head for a table.

They sit down at a roulette table and Sarah explains the game to him. "So, the odds on these two," she points to the black and red sections, "are two to one. So you double your chips."

"Alright," Chuck nods. "I think I get it. It tells me what the odds are in each section."

"Good," she smiles as she watches him contemplate a bet.

"Hmm…" he ponders out loud.

"Would you like a drink?" A female server asks him. He flinches from her sudden appearance. "Sorry about that," she smiles even brighter at him.

"Uh, how much?" chuck asks lethargically, not expecting to get anything because the prices are probably way over-priced.

"It's free as long as you gamble silly," she smiles at him with the brightest smile she can muster as she acts ditzy.

"Really?" Chuck's eyes slightly widen. "That is awesome!"

The server laughs and places her hand on Chuck's shoulder. Sarah feels a slight tinge of jealousy, but Chuck dismisses it as he turns to her. "Free drinks? This is so cool," he kisses her on the lips. "Thank you for taking me here." He turns back to the server, "What would you recommend?"

"Well, alcoholic or non-alcoholic?" The server asks.

Chuck glances at Sarah briefly before looking back. "I have never really drank alcohol before."

"A California mudslide it is," the server cheers as she walks off.

"What exactly is that?" He asks Sarah.

"It is one of the girliest drinks you'll find," she laughs as she embraces his arm to hold herself up. "You might as well get a sex on the beach!"

"What?" Chuck blushes at the thought.

"No, no. It's a drink," she clarifies. "I wouldn't mind the real thing though," she whispers into his ear seductively. His skin turns beet red and his eyes glaze over as he imagines her nude on the beach before she hits him in the arm, bringing him back to reality.

/

Chuck won twelve chips overall after about a half hour of roulette. He is now on his third drink and Sarah finally gets him to try a new game.

"Come on Chuck," she helps him up, "you'll be good at blackjack."

"Alright," he giggles slightly from the alcohol.

They walk over and find an open blackjack table and sit down. "Hi," Sarah says to the dealer and he nods back.

"What do I do in this game?" Chuck asks as he slides closer to the table.

"You need to get twenty-one without going over. Each number is how many points it is and the face cards are worth ten points each. Aces are—"

"Aces! My dad used to always say I was aces!" He cheers almost obnoxiously.

"Alright," she smiles at him as his innocent happiness melts any ice left around her heart. "They are worth one or eleven points." She kisses him on the cheek.

"How can they be worth two different things?"

"It takes whatever is better for your situation."

"Alright," he gives her a peck on the cheek. "I'm ready to win."

He places five chips down and gets a queen and a nine. "Now, you want to stay," Sarah tells him. "That would be a nineteen because the queen is worth ten."

"Alright. I stay," he tells the dealer.

"You have to wait your turn sir," the dealer informs him.

"Sorry," he smiles with a slight embarrassment. Sarah laughs; only furthering his embarrassment.

After ten hands and another drink, Chuck has hit a hot streak and is now up to one hundred and thirty eight chips.

"Hit me," he slurs slightly. The dealer gives him another card to give him a twenty. "Stay!"

The dealer deals himself and he busts. The crowd behind Chuck cheers and he pumps his fist.

"Yea!" He cheers.

An hour and a half later, he is now up to four hundred and seventy eight chips. The crowd behind him has grown to several people and Sarah is now sitting in his lap, holding onto his neck. He has just finished his eighth drink and can barely even count to twenty one anymore.

"Hit me!" He slurs loudly with a dopey smile on his face.

"Chuck," Sarah deadpans. "You have twenty one."

"Oops," he scrunches his lips with embarrassment. "I stay then." He giggles at his foolishness and she laughs with him.

"Chuck, are you tired? It's getting late," Sarah asks him with concern. She knows that gambling can become a habit and she definitely doesn't want that to happen to her Chuck so she wants to take it lightly. She also sees the security eyeing him suspiciously and doesn't want anything to happen to her precious Chuck, even if she could probably take them all out if necessary.

"What time is it?" He looks at his pip-boy and studies it as his vision blurs into two overlapped and skewed images. He finally focuses as the double vision forms into one to read 11:42 pm. "Hi-oh!" He jumps up slightly. "It is late. I'm sorry honey. I guess I lost track of time," he smiles apologetically at Sarah.

"It's fine," she kisses him on the cheek. That is the first time he's called her honey and she realizes how great it is to have him say that she is with him out loud. Because she is the sober one, she gathers his chips and tips the dealer a few chips. She takes Chuck over to the cashier, but not before he grabs his drink. He giggles his way over and stumbles slightly.

"Hi," Sarah says to the cashier. "We would like to cash out." Chuck starts to topple over slowly from the over-consumption of alcohol, but Sarah catches him by his left arm sleeve and she pulls him back upright without breaking eye contact with the cashier.

"Yes ma'am," the cashier quickly counts the chips and exchanges them with bottle caps.

/

Chuck has his arm around Sarah's shoulders and he is happily giggling on their walk back home. She is holding him up and keeping his stumbling from getting too erratic. His pip-boy is playing _I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire_ by The Ink spots. Chuck is happily singing along with the song in his intoxicated state.

"I don't want to set the world on Fireeeeeee!" Chuck sings with a slight slur while he sways back and forth to the music.

"I just want to start."

"A flame in your heart."

"In my heart I have but one de-sire."

"And that one is you," he cracks a smile at Sarah. She smiles back.

"No other will do."

"I've lost all am-bition for worldly acclaim."

"I just want to be the one you love," he kisses her on the cheek.

"And with your ad-mission that you feel the same."

"I'll have reached the goal I'm dreaming of."

"Believe me…"

"I don't want to set the world on Fireeeeeeeee!" Sarah joins him, giving a flawless duet sound of infused male and female pitches. They both sing happily together.

"I just want to start," they smile at each other as they continue to sing.

"A flame in your heart!"

They stop singing and let the song continue with a low-pitched male voice:

_I don't wanna set the world on fire, honey _

_I love ya too much_

Chuck kisses Sarah on the cheek again.

_I just wanna start a great big flame _

_Down in your heart _

_You see, way down inside of me _

_Darlin' I have only one desire _

_And that one desire is you _

_And I know nobody else ain't gonna do_

"I've lost all am-bition for worldly acclaim!" They both sing together again.

"I just want to be the one you love," they both point at each other and laugh.

"And with your ad-mission that you feel the same."

"I'll have reached the goal I'm dreaming of."

"Believe me…" Chuck lets Sarah sing solo.

"I don't want to set the world on Fireeeeeeee!" She sings loudly and Chuck pulls her tighter to him with a goofy smile from ear to ear as he hears her perfect voice hitting every note immaculately.

"I just want to start," Chuck joins again.

"A flame in your Heaaaaaarrrrrrtttttt!" Chuck bellows as Sarah quiets down and admires him as the song concludes.

"That was fun," she tells him after the song ends.

"You sing beautifully," he kisses her on the lips.

"Thanks, you weren't so bad yourself," she quips, surprised by how amazing his singing voice actually is, for a drunk guy." She laughs.

"Please, I'm fantastic," he scoffs with an over-exaggerated arrogance.

"Yea, you are," she says seriously and truthfully. They lock eyes and feel an immense amount of passion. They slowly lean in to each other and press their lips together in a soft, gentle lust.

/

It's a miracle that they made it back to Sarah's home in one piece. Chuck is still quite belligerent and Sarah is totally exhausted. Chuck is tired, but he doesn't quite know it yet as the adverse effects of alcohol are keeping him awake.

"Mmm…" He gnaws on her hair playfully.

"Are you eating my hair?" She pulls the strands out of his mouth and he pouts like a little boy who lost his brand new toy.

"Sorry, but it tastes so good!" He insists with all his emotion. She gets a nice chuckle from his conviction about her hair tasting good.

"Chuck, lets go to sleep," she orders as she pushes him up the stairs.

They get up the stairs and Chuck falls onto the bed and pretends to fall asleep.

"Chuck," she shakes him. "I know you're awake. You need to get out of all those clothes."

"I'm too tired."

"Chuck…" She warns with a motherly tone. "Fine!" She pulls off his pants vigorously and strips him down to his underwear. She lifts his upper body up to take off his shirt and rolls him higher up on the bed; he is giggling the whole time.

She strips down to her underwear and a tank top and slides into the bed next to him. "Goodnight Chuck," she kisses him briefly on the lips, but he deepens it.

"Your lips are soft," he mutters quickly.

"Thanks," she whispers as she closes her eyes to get some sleep.

Chuck admires her for a few seconds before he cannot hold back the want to touch her. He strokes her hair down with one long motion. She opens her eyes and looks at him with a slight annoyance. He is smiling back with his tongue sticking out. She ignores him and closes her eyes again.

A few seconds later, he strokes her cheek and scoots closer to her.

"Chuck," she opens her eyes again with the same amount of annoyance. "Go to sleep."

"Alright," he smiles at her and she closes her eyes again.

After about a minute, Sarah feels Chuck's hand on her bare stomach, under her tank top. His hand is rubbing her taut abdomen in a circular pattern. The next thing she feels is his left cheek brushing against her right shoulder.

"Chuck, what are you doing?" she asks him with a cautious tone.

"Your muscles are so def-def… so there," he stutters; not able to pronounce the right word. "Your skin is so soft and warm. I just want to touch it all night."

"I love you Chuck," she rolls into his arms with a bright smile and he lays his hands under her tank top and starts petting her back as if she is a majestic tiger.

"I love you too Sarah," he smiles as he brushes his cheek against hers. She falls asleep in his safe embrace as his hands radiate warmth and love to her.

/

Chuck wakes up the next morning with aches throughout his whole body; the worst of all is in his head.

"Ugh," he groans as he rubs his head. "My head is killing me."

"Good morning sunshine," Sarah quips as she turns to lie on top of him and kisses him. He groans at the uncomfortable pain when she lays on him, but accepts the kiss happily. "How're you feeling?"

"Like someone keeps drilling into my skull," he complains through hazy eyes.

"That's what happens when you drink too much," she jumps off of him, eliciting yet another groan of pain. "You ready to train?"

"Are you serious?" He sits up quickly, which was a horrible idea as pain courses through his cranium.

"No babe," she sits back down and hands him a glass of water and some buffout pills. "You are in no shape to train. I would kiss your ass all over the place," she laughs.

"Thanks," he graciously takes the pills and water. "I'm never drinking again," he declares out loud and more for himself than for her.

"That's what they all say," she laughs.

"I'm sorry about last night," he confesses dejectedly while looking down at his legs.

"What do you mean?" She asks with pure curiosity.

"I kind of ruined the night for you. I was an asshole and made it all about me," he continues the despondent tone.

"Chuck," she lifts his chin with her left hand, "the night was supposed to be about you. I told me that you had never been to a casino. So I wanted to take you."

"So you're not mad?" He looks into her eyes with a new hope.

"Mad? I'm not mad! I love you!" She climbs onto his lap and kisses him on the lips fervently; pushing onto his back.

/

It's been a week since that night and Chuck hasn't touched alcohol since. Everyone else got some good laughs at Chuck's expense. With all the training that Sarah helps Chuck with, he has become more toned and muscular with a higher endurance (not just in bed) and he's learned how to fight quite well.

Chuck is watching his parents with Devon and Arcade hard at work when Sarah walks in and gives Chuck a kiss.

"Sorry about that," she smiles at him. "Graham wanted to know how everything was faring."

"It's no problem," he smiles up at her.

"And Casey is now an official member of the team."

"That's great honey," he tells her with enthusiasm. She has to fight the want to just lie in his arms and feel him against her.

"How's the G.E.C.K. coming along?"

"Quite well I think," he shrugs his shoulders as he walks over to his parents. "Mom, dad? How's it going?"

"Pretty good Chuck," Mary informs him.

"We actually found out a way to spread the seeds and fertilizer," Stephen explains. "We need a replicator."

"What exactly is a replicator?" Chuck asks.

"It is a device that can expand a substance and spread it quickly."

"Uh, alright," Chuck says unsurely; having no real idea from that description. "Where do we find one?"

"That's the problem," Mary says with a slight sorrowful tone. "We don't know how to find one."

"The best bet is the Brotherhood of Steel," Stephen tells them.

"But they hate us," Sarah explains with seriousness.

"I know," Stephen sighs.

**/**

**I know you are all going to hate me for the fact that I will not be updating this until around January 10****th**** because I am going out of town and then out of the country. Thank you for all the reviews last chapter as I was furthermost surprised and happy. I just wish I could come up with another pep talk that would work as well.**

*** Sarah's dress is supposed to be the one she wore in "Chuck Versus the Breakup" where she dances with Bryce (Ugh!). Also, she scavenged it from NBC Studios which, according to Google, is in Burbank.**

**Now is time for me to make my amazing pep talk that will make people want to review, so here goes: Reviews are literally one of the highest points of my day, if not the highest, so if you want to make my day, a review will do it.**


	11. Chuck Versus the Robocops

**The long awaited update for this story is finally out! Praise whoever you want!**

**I am sorry for the long break in the updates. I was in Las Vegas for a few days and then went to Israel for over a week. I will try to get this story back on pace. Thanks for sticking with this story.**

**Because I took such a long break from uploading stories, this chapter is officially over 6,000 words and 15 pages… So it's a beast of a chapter that I hope you all enjoy and leave a review for.**

**I don't own Chuck or Fallout.**

**/**

_**Previously on "Chuck Versus the Fallout Universe":**_

"_We actually found out a way to spread the seeds and fertilizer," Stephen explains. "We need a replicator."_

"_What exactly is a replicator?" Chuck asks._

"_It is a device that can expand a substance and spread it quickly."_

"_Uh, alright," Chuck says unsurely; having no real idea from that description. "Where do we find one?"_

"_That's the problem," Mary says with a slight sorrowful tone. "We don't know how to find one."_

"_The best bet is the Brotherhood of Steel," Stephen tells them._

"_But they hate us," Sarah explains with seriousness._

"_I know," Stephen sighs._

/

"This is crazy!" Chuck complains while pacing back and forth in the lab. "There is no way we can get the Brotherhood to help us!"

"They won't help us, but you," Stephen points to Chuck, "are not NCR."

"You can't!" Mary gasps. Her motherly instincts making her argue for her only son.

"It's the only way," Stephen informs somberly with his head down.

"What are you getting at?" Chuck nervously asks; not sure if he really wants the answer.

"You walk up to their doorstep and ask nicely," Sarah clarifies matter-of-factly although she has mixed feelings about the idea. She wants to succeed with creating the G.E.C.K. but doesn't want to risk Chuck's life with those conservative asses.

"Alone?" Chuck stares at Sarah with terror. "I can't do that alone!"

"I can't because they'll recognize me as NCR," she sorrowfully explains. "Casey too."

"Damn," Chuck squeaks in defeat.

/

Chuck finds himself in a horrific situation that would be quite comical if it wasn't him. The nervous sweat starts to find its way out of his pores. Sarah notices immediately and tries to calm him.

"Chuck," she mothers him, "Casey and I will be covering you with snipers the whole time."

"Grow a sack Bartowski," Casey nonchalantly insults Chuck. Both Chuck and Sarah glare daggers at him with narrowed eyes.

"Don't listen to him," Sarah holds Chuck's head seriously with both hands so he looks into his eyes. "I will not let anything happen to you. I love you too much." She stares intently into his eyes with all her passion. "I know you can do this."

"Thanks," he tries to smile but he is too nervous to feign it. "If anything happens, I love you."

"Nothing's gonna happen," she laughs. "Let us get into position and then walk up the hill here to their front guard post."

"Alright," he unsurely confirms.

"For good luck," she kisses him on the lips briefly. Chuck's lips pull back into a semi smile.

/

Chuck is now more nervous than ever. The sweat is raining down his face now. He keeps walking cautiously as the two Brotherhood soldiers come into view in front of the large gated settlement they guard. There are two soldiers wearing gray and rusty metallic suits that are very robotic-looking and strong. One of the soldiers is carrying a gigantic Gatling laser that could shred Chuck up in a matter of seconds while the other guard has a laser rifle. He finally gets to the end of the path, only to be stopped by the soldiers.

"Who are you and what do you want," one of the soldiers asks through his metallic helmet with a breathing mechanism to give him a low computerized voice.

_Stick to the script_, Chuck tells himself. "I'm just a traveler," he slowly raises his arms to imply he is harmless.

"Why are you so sweaty and shaking?"

"I'm kind of nervous," Chuck giggles humorlessly, "you guys are kind of intimidating with your big guns and huge armor."

"Damn right we are," the other soldier cheers.

"Quiet," the first soldier puts his arm out to silence the other soldier. "What's your business here?"

"I heard you guys are technological geniuses," Chuck tells him. "I am looking for something that I was hoping you guys would know of."

"What might this be?" The soldier asks with an upbeat curiosity to his voice.

"You got this Chuck," Sarah encourages from her hidden spot 60 yards away while holding the scope over the talking soldier's head; although Chuck cannot hear her, it helps calm herself down.

"Well," Chuck stammers, "I'm looking for a replicator."

"Ha-Ha-" the other soldier stutters forcefully before breaking into a full on laughter.

"Quiet!" The calm soldier demands. The other soldier stops laughing instantly while Chuck just sits there with his brow furrowed. "Let me talk to my superiors," the soldier leaves his post to walk over to the intercom by the door to their complex, which is out of earshot from Chuck.

"You can't possibly think you can get one of those," the abandoned soldier laughs now that he has no one to order him to stop. "Those are almost impossible to find. We only know of one that exists on the west coast."

"Let me deal with that," Chuck informs him as he musters some courage to stand up to this robotic buffoon.

"It's a death wish looking for that," the soldier warns seriously after calming from his laughing outburst.

"I don't care how hard it is to obtain. I just want to know where I can get one," Chuck says bravely and a bit condescendingly because this soldier is insulting Chuck with his laughs.

"You giving me lip, boy?" The soldier steps forward, his giant Gatling laser now inches from Chuck's crotch.

Sarah growls as she tenses her trigger finger still ready to kill this asshole.

"No, no," Chuck stammers in cowardice as he steps back, "I didn't mean anything by it. I swear!"

"That's what I thought," the soldier backs off victoriously.

Chuck sighs in relief; thankful that Sarah can't hear him being insulted like that because she would go bat shit crazy on the soldier if she heard.

The more professional soldier comes back after the brief chat with his superiors. "Kid," he starts; annoying Chuck with the name he called him, "my superiors are willing to tell you where to find one."

"That's great," Chuck cheers ecstatically. He never expected to survive this mission, let alone get the location of the replicator. His enthusiasm catches both soldiers off guard but they mask it through their helmets.

"You can find the replicator within Activision Studios in Santa Monica," the soldier tells him.

"I don't have to return any favors or anything like that?" Chuck covers his bases just to be sure.

"Nope," the soldier confirms, "we're just glad to help." Chuck lets out a long breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"You have no chance," the other soldier laughs. "If we can't clear the building, what makes you think you can?"

"Thank you," Chuck turns around and walks away, wiping sweat from his forehead with his right forearm while ignoring the soldier's taunts.

/

"I did it!" Chuck cheers as he meets Casey and Sarah safely away from the Brotherhood's base. "I am so amazing!"

"Where is it then?" Casey demands.

"Uh..." Chuck ponders, forgetting the location.

"Great, the moron already forgot it," Casey rolls his eyes.

"Activision!" Chuck informs them as the sudden burst of amnesia fades away.

"Great job Chuck," Sarah kisses him on the cheek. "I knew you could do it."

"Yea," Chuck acts nonchalant about it, "I just had to use the ol' Bartowski charm," he smiles from ear to ear with all his teeth shining.

"Goof," Sarah playfully hits him in the arm. She is skeptical that they would so willingly tell him where to find the replicator but hides it behind her happiness.

/

Chuck informs his parents as Sarah and Casey inform Director Graham about the location.

"There's a reason this place hasn't been scavenged," Graham stresses. "Not only is it flooded with radiation, but home to some of the most vicious ghouls."

"We anticipated that," Sarah informs Graham, "that's why we are going to go in silently. The Brotherhood made the mistake of a head-on assault through the front doors."

"We are going in through here," Casey lays down blueprints and points to a side door on the east side. "There should be less resistance."

"I see you've thought about this," Graham says fondly. "How many soldiers will you need?"

"We need to keep the number small to lower possible detection," Sarah says.

"Just the three of us is ideal," Casey says. Sarah's eyes widen with horror and Graham furrows his brow in confusion. "What? Did I say wrong?" Casey asks after seeing their looks.

"I thought it was just you two," Graham starts to raise his voice. "Who is this third member of the team?"

"The Bartowski's son," Sarah shies her gaze for fear of what could happen. She knows it is against regulations to have a civilian working with them. Casey looks at her with a furrowed brow.

"He is just a civilian!" Graham growls. "He has no field experience! For god's sake he has only been out of the vault for weeks"! Graham pinches his nose in frustration.

"I have been personally training him and he has become an asset to our team," Sarah explains truthfully. She doesn't want to tell Graham her true feelings for Chuck in fear of reassignment.

"How do I know i can trust him?" Graham demands.

"I can vouch for his trust personally," Sarah answers. "He is completely trustworthy."

"I don't like this," Graham shows his disgust by pacing back and forth.

"I can also assure Bartowski's trust," Casey finally speaks up. "He would never betray his parents or us."

"I still don't like the idea of a civilian on the team," Graham warns. "This usually ends badly."

"We won't allow that to happen," Sarah informs confidently. She cannot allow anything to happen to her Chuck.

"Dammit! Alright," Graham hesitantly agrees as he paces back and forth.

/

"Mom, dad," Chuck walks into their laboratory with a gleeful aura around him. "I got the location of the replicator."

"That's great son," Stephen encourages. "I have been working on something that should help with your missions."

"What is it?" Chuck asks with curiosity.

"It is only a prototype but it will give you a competitive advantage when facing danger."

"Sounds great. I can't wait."

"I should have it done soon. Where is the replicator located?"

"Activision Studios," Chuck answers calmly.

"No!" Mary demands. "You cannot go there! It's too dangerous!"

"But..."

"She's right," Sarah appears out of nowhere; interrupting Chuck's protest. "It is too dangerous for you."

"But what about you?" Chuck complains.

"You are not properly trained like Casey and I." Sarah steps closer to Chuck.

"I thought I was part of the team?"

Sarah takes Chuck over to the corner for privacy. "You are part of the team. I just don't want to lose you. I can't lose you," tears start to form in her eyes as she cups his cheek with her right hand.

"You think I could lose you?" Chuck's eyes start to water too. "Sarah, I don't want to be stuck here wondering if you are still alive or dead. I can't do that. I cannot lose you either."

Sarah kisses Chuck on the lips. "I know Chuck," she whispers. "We have to do this though."

"Yea, we," he includes himself boldly.

"There is no changing your mind, huh?"

"Nope. I cannot sit around knowing I could be there to help you, Sarah."

"Why do you have to be so stubborn," she rhetorically states with a slight comical smile. Chuck just smiles victoriously.

/

The three of them venture into Santa Monica once again to find the replicator. They are wearing black radiation suits that will help with decreasing the radiation exposure: the helmets are polygonal with ample vision for their peripherals. There is a decal on the chest that has the NCR logo on it. They arrive at the building and scan the area. There are four feral ghouls standing around the front entrance and six more in the parking lot beside the building. They locate their door in and find that the ghouls don't even notice it. They all sneak closer to the door, hiding behind bushes and destroyed cars.

They all have silencers on their weapons to infiltrate stealthily. They make their way to the side entrance without having to fire a shot. Sarah unlocks the door while Chuck and Casey watch her back. She gets in and makes sure it's clear.

It is fairly dark and eerie with papers and cans littering the hallways; the hanging lamps dangling limply while some are flickering on and off. The walls are rusty and grimy with fungus growing over time.

"We're in," she informs them as they all step in. "Chuck, you stay right behind me. You see my ass?" She points to her ass and he nods with slight confusion. "I want you to be so close; you can kiss it at any moment." She explains seriously with no humor, intending the double entendre. Chuck actually gets subtle shivers from her serious tone. "You understand?"

"Uh, yea, um yes. I understand," he stammers nervously.

"Now that the dogs on his leash, can we get moving?" Casey asks as he cocks his silenced M4 assault rifle.

All three of them sneak down the hallway they entered through, checking each door to make sure it is clear. They walk through a room that is literally like a hallway extension as there are no doors on either side and there is only a door ahead of them and the one they came from. They follow out the door ahead and through the hallway as it turns right. Casey peeks his head into a door on the left and then continues; leaving the door ajar.

Chuck gets a bit curious and tries to get a view inside the room. He looks for a few seconds and then turns back to kiss Sarah's ass but it is gone. He gasps as he looks all different ways. "Sarah? Casey? Meep…"

"AGGHH!" A ghoul shrieks from right behind him with its mouth open wider than humanly possible and its voice piercing like nails on a chalkboard. Chuck falls backwards onto his tailbone as he turns to see a human skeleton with orangish flesh loosely connected to its bones. A piece of orange flesh cracks and drips off the ghoul's face onto Chuck's foot from his fallen position.

"Oh crap," Chuck mutters as he slides back. In too much shock to think rationally, he gets up quickly as he dodges a swipe from the zombie instead of shooting it with his silenced pistol. He runs as fast as he could down the hallway and then follows it left. He looks back to see a bony, gooey hand swipe by his face, missing him by inches.

As he continues down the hallway, he sees another ghoul standing in the doorway of one of the rooms. The ghoul perks its head up and sees Chuck and the other ghoul run by and follows them.

"Shit, shit, shit," Chuck mutters nervously as he continues sprinting through the hallways.

Chuck finds the end of the hallway and there is only left or right. He doesn't have time to decide as he quickly turns to the right. He finds himself in the kitchen and looks for any escape. Not seeing any, he sees an empty fridge open.

He runs over to the large fridge and jumps inside and closes it shut. The light disappears and he is left in an enclosed coffin of darkness. He holds the fridge shut as tightly as he can as the two ghouls scratch at the outside.

He can hear the scratching and growling from the ghouls and wishes he had a way to communicate with Sarah and Casey because he is scared out of his mind. After a few seconds, the scratching and growls stop abruptly after a low gurgle sound.

Chuck debates with himself if it is safe or not. He doesn't know what happened outside and he doesn't think ghouls are smart enough to trick him. He knows he needs to get out at some point and chooses to open the door after a brief glance at his weapon.

He creeps the door open slowly; trying to peek out of the opening. "Chuck!" He hears Sarah's angry voice.

The door flies open and Casey and Sarah are standing there over the two ghouls that now lay dead along the floor; knife gashes in both of their chins through their heads.

"Dammit! What did I tell you?" Sarah pulls him out by the chest of his suit and stares him down.

"To kiss your ass?" He answers unsurely.

"Never let me out of your sight! This is not the place to go exploring!" She is filled with anger and rage. Chuck understands her anger completely because she could have lost him there.

"I'm sorry. I literally looked away for one second," he argues with understanding of her anger but wants to explain his side.

"Chuck, please try to be more careful," her voice immediately becomes the tone of a worried girlfriend.

"I will."

"Not very smart to piss an NCR agent off; especially when she is also your girlfriend," Casey adds in.

"I know," Chuck nods as they continue their search.

They continue through the first floor; checking each corner carefully and silently killing any ghouls that are in their way. They make it to a stairwell with a directory that still has some of the words left on it.

"It should be on the development floor," Casey points to the third floor.

"That's our best shot," Sarah agrees.

"Lead the way," Chuck says as he follows Casey and Sarah.

They walk up the stairwell and there is a ghoul at the top of the second floor. Casey fires a single silent shot into its head; the bullet lodging in its skull. The ghoul gets ready to scream and alert all the ghouls on the game testing floor, but Sarah fires a shot that pierces through its open mouth and into its cranium. The ghoul gargles as it slowly drops to the ground lifelessly.

The body tumbles down the stairs quietly; falling right towards all of them. Casey steps out of the way and Sarah jumps over it. The body hits Chuck in the leg and he loses his balance, but catches himself.

"Ugh!" Chuck shrieks in disgust as the body leaves sticky ooze on his pant leg. Sarah swiftly hits him in the shoulder and puts her finger to her mouth to quiet him. "Sorry," Chuck mumbles quietly.

They continue up the stairwell to the third floor. The stairwell connects to a long corridor with development rooms along each side. There is a dead soldier with its head gone. The body is wearing rusted Brotherhood power armor with dry blood spatter on it and a laser rifle beside it.

Casey grabs the weapon and looks back at the other two. "Can't hurt to have more firepower," he quips as he throws it on his back. Sarah shakes her head with a smile as they venture deeper into the hallway.

They check the first door on the right and see that it's empty. After not finding the replicator, they check the door on the left.

"Chuck, watch the hallway and let us know if there are any enemies," Sarah orders quietly.

"I thought I was supposed-" Chuck starts as Sarah interrupts him.

"Forget what I said before. Just watch our backs." She flashes a quick smile at him to calm him down.

"Okie-dokie," he smiles to her as he turns around.

Casey quietly sneaks open the door to see two ghouls hunched over a dead ghoul's body. The two alive ones are eating what's left of the body's 'meat. 'Casey and Sarah both aim their silenced pistols at both ghoul's heads while Chuck guards their back.

Casey motions with his hand up and three fingers extended. Sarah watches intently as he drops one finger. He then lowers the next one and finally the last finger drops and he quickly grips his pistol and fires at the exact same time as Sarah.

They both fire again to ensure that the ghouls don't survive. Casey remembers seeing some kind of video about 'double tapping' your enemies for just in case, but never thought it was necessary. It was something about zombies, which funny enough, is what he is killing.

Both ghouls drop to the ground with two light thuds. Casey and Sarah walk up to take one last check if the ghouls are dead. Once satisfied, they search the room for the replicator. All they were able to find were broken computers and trashed desks.

"Next room," Sarah whispers to Chuck, who was too afraid to keep his eyes off the hallway while they were inside the room.

"What? Huh?" Chuck jumps slightly in surprise. "Oh yea. Okay." Sarah takes the lead as they go forward to the next set of doors on each side.

"Same thing," Sarah affectionately rubs Chuck's arm as encouragement before creeping into the door. Chuck nods as he guards the hallway again.

Sarah and Casey again sneak into the left room first. The room is void of any life or the replicator so they go to the door on the right.

Casey is now in the front and he peeks through the ajar door. He sees a group of six ghouls walking around aimlessly. He looks back at Sarah and Chuck and motions with his fingers that there are six enemies.

Sarah nods and starts doing hand signals that totally lost Chuck. After a brief conversation in just hand signals, Sarah turns to Chuck who is totally confused. She whispers through their suits and into his ear. "Six enemies; each kill two of them; you get the two on the left."

Chuck nods although he is quite nervous that he has to kill something. Casey raises his fist as he peeks through the crack of the door. He extends his fingers to their longest length before closing his fist tightly.

They all charge in and Casey and Sarah quickly fire at their targets. Two quick bursts of bullets from their guns kill their enemies. At the same time, Chuck fires his silenced pistol and hits the first ghoul in the shoulder, only injuring it slightly.

Both ghouls that Chuck is supposed to kill charge all three of them and Chuck fires another shot in the same ghoul that he already shot. The bullet hits the jaw and the ghoul drops to its back and to the floor lifelessly; sliding only two feet from Chuck.

The last ghoul charges the first target it sees, which happens to be Sarah. Sarah turns after killing her targets to see the ghoul's outstretched arm flying towards her face. She reacts instantly and ducks under the arm while unsheathing her combat knife along the small of her back.

She finishes her dodge behind the ghoul and she stabs it in the back of the neck with her knife. The ghoul starts to holler as Casey fires one shot right through the right eye of the ghoul. The ghoul's body goes limp instantly as Sarah pulls her knife out of its neck.

"Oh my god! Are you alright?" Chuck worriedly asks as he steps closer to her. He feels ashamed for not being able to protect her.

"I'm fine," Sarah smiles at him. His heart flutters for a brief second at her extravagant smile.

"I can't believe I let you almost die," Chuck looks away in depressed humiliation. "I'm pathetic," he mutters more to himself.

"He finally admits it," Casey quips with a slight smirk of victory.

"Chuck, it's alright. I'm fine; look," Sarah turns him back around to look at her.

"Not it's not alright!" He throws his arms in the air in frustration while breaking the connection between them. "You don't get it! I couldn't protect you. What if something happens to you and I fail to do anything? I just want to be able to protect you. All you do is save me time after time and I can't even protect you this one time! I just want to be there for you; to protect you; to make sure you're safe."

Sarah is at a loss of words as a tear escapes her right eye. No one has ever cared so much about protecting her; making sure she is safe. She understands Chuck's frustration because she has been trained so well that she makes a great protector for Chuck, but she never thought about it the other way around.

"You deserve to be cared for and protected," Chuck's voice calms to an emotional truth. "Everyone can use some kind of help and I want to be there for you. I could never forgive myself if something happened to you on my behalf."

Sarah is still not quite sure what to say. She has never seen someone so hurt from not being able to protect her; her! She has never felt the need to have a type of guardian as she is a guardian angel to Chuck; the most beautiful angel.

Sarah would give up anything to give Chuck a loving kiss but they cannot risk the radiation, so she hugs him tightly with all her passion. "I love you Chuck but I don't want you to feel inferior to me. You are my better half," she confesses with tears in her eyes.

"I really hate these masks," Chuck quips with a snivel and a smile through his tears. "How am I supposed to wipe my eyes?"

"Occupational hazard," Sarah jokes with a bright smile as they press their masks against each other's.

"I love you Sarah and I will be there to protect you next time," Chuck declares with confidence. "I promise."

"Found it," Casey diverts their attention from each other. Apparently he was searching the room while they were talking. Casey is holding a small cylindrical container that is transparent with a two square inch computer chip that is delicately connected by prongs holding in the center as if it was floating. "Lets get out of this god forsaken shit hole." He walks right in between Chuck and Sarah. Chuck follows Casey with Sarah at the tail.

/

The three of them retrace their steps back to the stairwell with no resistance. They have no need to clear the building because they aren't scavengers so they take the stairs past the second floor down to the first floor.

They find themselves back at the hallway extension room. They step in not suspecting anything as a grenade rolls in from ahead of them; where they originally came from. Casey and Chuck see it first as Sarah is behind both of them and they obstruct her view.

"Grenade!" Casey yells. Before he finishes his yell, Chuck pushes Sarah back through the door they just entered through. She was caught off-guard as she stumbles back in confusion and shock. Chuck shuts the door as she gets safely out of the door's swinging distance.

"Chuck!" Sarah screams worriedly as she runs to the door to open it. She hears a loud bang that was a distinctive sound from a stun grenade. She knows that is quite modern technology so it has to be an organized group.

She places her ear to the door to listen through it. She hears heavy footsteps and instantly thinks power armor.

"I can't believe that fool thought we'd just let him just walk away with it," she hears a computerized voice say. She instantly knows it is Brotherhood of Steel.

"I'm surprised he was able to even get it," another voice says.

"That bug guy probably did all the heavy lifting. Look at that emblem," the first voice says. "The kid is NCR. Maybe we under-estimated him."

"You think they have backup?" The second voice asks.

"There is no way they have a team of only two soldiers. Fan out and check the floor," a third voice commands.

Sarah knows at least one is headed her way so she hides behind the door as it opens. She waits for a few seconds as the door swings open. She waits patiently as one Brotherhood soldier walks by her. After noticing there isn't another one right behind him, she steps out from her cover.

From her position behind the soldier, she pushes the door closed gently as she unsheathes her knife. She lunges at the soldier's back as the door closes with an echoing click and bang. She drives the knife right under the soldier's helmet into his neck where there is no protection. The soldier hollers and gargles as she cuts into his larynx and through his carotid artery.

Sarah hears the door handle of the door she just closed turn. She quickly spins around; using the dying soldier as a shield. The third voice she heard must have been a Paladin because the soldier firing at her human shield has distinct paint marks on his armor and a better weapon; a plasma rifle.

Sarah carefully hides behind the body as more fires from the Paladin's plasma rifle deteriorates her human shield. She knows that plasma rifles fire a slow green energy blast that is lethal with just one shot, so she pulls out her silenced pistol and levels it in the right armpit of her shield.

She fires her gun, trying to hit one of the joints of the Paladin as those are the only real vulnerable areas of power armor. She relinquishes her clip; the last shot hitting the Paladin's left hip right between the stomach armor and leg armor. Sarah takes the opportunity as the Paladin bends forward in pain and her shield is just the back half of the body and green goo rests at her feet.

Sarah drops the shield and lunges at the Paladin with her knife forward and directed towards the Paladin's neck. The Paladin recovers in time to block Sarah's attack with his plasma rifle. Sarah knocks the gun from his hand and she knows that he has no dexterity in the armor so she flips the blade to protrude from the pinky side of her fist.

She watches the Paladin's subtle movements before seeing a telegraphed punch coming. She dodges it easily and stabs the Paladin in the lower back; severing his lower spine where another vulnerability rests between armor plates.

The Paladin drops unresponsively as she just paralyzed him forever. She knows there is another soldier who probably heard the commotion so she grabs the plasma rifle as it is more effective against power armor than bullets. She knows there is one more soldier left.

She peeks into the extended hallway where Chuck and Casey are both unconscious. She checks all angles before entering the room. She hears footsteps from the heavy power armor of the last soldier and she readies herself while inwardly laughing at how ridiculous that armor is. She never wears it because she hates not having the advantage of stealth or dexterity on her side. The armor is great for armies and wars though.

Sarah aims the plasma rifle at the doorway and waits as the footsteps get louder. She times up the slow speed of the plasma rifle to the footsteps and fires a single blast. One second later, she sees the Brotherhood soldier for less than a second as the green blast connects with his left shoulder. He immediately falls back behind the wall where Sarah cannot see him as he screams in pain.

Sarah slowly walks up to the door frame without going out quite yet. The screaming stopped and he could just be waiting for her to come around the corner. She intellectually underhand tosses her bloody combat knife through the door frame. She sees a single red laser rifle shot fire at an upward angle into the opened door.

She was correct that he is waiting for her to come out. She concludes that he is sitting down from the angle of the laser shot. She lies on the ground and crawls up to the door frame. She doesn't expect him to be looking so low as she quickly peeks around the corner and fires a shot before the soldier could adjust his aim.

Her shot happens to hit right in between his legs into his crotch. He cries out in pain as his loins are melted to green goo. She fires another shot a little higher that melts away his helmet. She fires again until the soldier's facial skin melts off until just a skull remains.

The soldier's upper body falls back dead. Sarah turns around and goes to check on Chuck. She feels his pulse through the radiation suit and it is strong. She breathes out in relief as she shakes him lightly. "Chuck! Wake up!"

"Nah," he sleepily mumbles.

"Chuck. Come on," she begs as she shakes him more vigorously.

"Ugh, what happened?" He groggily asks as his eyelids flutter open.

"You saved me Chuck. We would have been captured if it wasn't for you pushing me back," she smiles her special smile that is reserved for Chuck's eyes only.

"I did?" Chuck starts to sit up. He smiles from ear to ear when he sees her smile. Her smile increases more from seeing his smile. "I did, didn't I?"

"Yes, Chuck, you protected me just like you wanted."

"Awesome," he sighs.

Casey grunts as he slowly comes back to the conscious realm. At that same moment, the same backup team that they always used comes into the room ready to help out. Their leader with the beady, shifty eyes walks in as his soldiers funnel in behind him.

"We just got here. What can we do to help?" He asks Sarah.

"Where were you five minutes ago?" Sarah gets up in anger. "I had to take them all out by myself. I specifically ordered you guys just in case something like this happens!" She was skeptical that the Brotherhood were so willing to help and her paranoia served true.

"We only just arrived," the leader says again to Sarah. His eyes seem to stay on her. She is too enflamed to notice, but Chuck sees it and scowls slightly.

"Well fuck me," Casey sits up as he rubs the back of his head. "Took out three of them huh? You're deadlier than I thought, Walker."

"The Paladin is still alive," she points at the Paladin whose lower half is totally paralyzed. "Make yourselves useful."

The leader's eyes haven't left Sarah the whole time as he nods and directs his team to take the Paladin for interrogation and torture. "Did you acquire the device?" He asks with his eyes shifting from her eyes to her chest and back when she looks at him.

"Yea, no thanks to you," she huffs in kept anger for their tardiness. She helps Chuck stand up and then Casey as they stretch their limbs. "Lets get out of this shit hole."

"I second that," Chuck follows her. Casey grunts satisfactorily as he follows too with the replicator safely stored on him. The backup team follows them with the paralyzed Paladin being dragged along with his feet dragging along the ground.

They leave Activision Studios with the replicator and head back to New Angeles.

**/**

**I can really use reviews after the long break of not getting any. So please review if you are so kind and Chuck comes back in only seven days (I think).**

**I love reviews and nothing males me happier than seeing unread messages in my inbox.**


	12. Chuck Versus the Intersect

**I didn't get the warmest of warm welcome backs but hopefully this doesn't reflect on the scorching return that Chuck should get.**

**Never the less, thank you for all your reviews as they are like a direct fuselage to my will to write.**

**I do not own Chuck or Fallout. Is it even necessary to say this anymore? I mean, it is quite obvious I don't or some (all) of my ideas would be in the show and it would never end.**

**/**

The time is starting to get late as Chuck's pip-boy clearly states _10:46pm_ and the moon is high and glowing. Chuck starts to slouch and Sarah and Casey notice it. They had already traveled miles to Santa Monica at the crack of dawn and have been exerting energy all day. The rings under their eyes are very prominent and dark. Now they need to travel back, but clearly are not in the shape to continue.

"We should set up camp here," Casey points to a jumble of rusted cars on the 10 Freeway. He is taking advantage of having a squad of six soldiers to make sure they are safe.

"Are you sure, sir?" The leader of the squad asks. He still has his face mask up to his chin.

"We're useless without any rest," Casey responds. "Get two of your men to stand guard in shifts of four hours each."

"Yes, sir," the leader narrows his eyes in what looks like distaste because he feels he knows how to do his job and doesn't need to be told what to do. He was already chewed out by Sarah earlier.

Two of his men volunteer to stay awake and guard the rest of them while Sarah and Chuck reside in one of the deserted cars that has padding still on the seats. Somehow, the windows were still intact and it was somewhat clean inside.

Casey takes rest in an adjacent car that is actually crushed into the one Chuck and Sarah are in; probably from when the original drivers crashed in fear of being bombed hundreds of years ago; the cars are definitely not in any condition to operate. The leader and the rest of his squad packed into two separate cars.

Sarah leans into Chuck's right shoulder from her front passenger seat. Chuck wraps his arm around her shoulders and reels her in closer. He presses a kiss to the top of her head before sighing in content. She sighs in tandem with a relieved smile to be off her feet and in Chuck's arms.

"Sarah?" Chuck asks inquisitively.

"Hmm?" She looks up at him.

"Who is that guy who is leading the soldiers?"

"What do you mean?"

"The guy over in that car," Chuck points to the leader of the backup team of NCR soldiers. "Who is he?"

"He's just a Captain of the squad," Sarah answers; not knowing why Chuck cares. "Why?"

"I don't know. I don't like the guy."

"Because he was late in backing us up?"

"Yea; well no. Not really. He seems to stare at you."

"Me? Why would he stare at me?" Sarah honestly asks.

"Seriously?" Chuck looks down at her with bewilderment and just by seeing her confused look, knows she seriously doesn't know what he means. "Look at you. You are so beautiful. I think it would be weird to not stare. But this guy, he stares a lot. He isn't even subtle about it like Devon is."

"Devon?" Sarah actually sits up in slight horror.

"Bad comparison, but his eyes, they are just, just always on you," he gestures with his hands to her chest.

"Are you jealous?" She asks with a devious smile as she lays back into his side.

"No, I think he's jealous. I just don't like the dirty looks he gives you. That's all."

"I'll check him out when we get back. I think you're overreacting but at least you care," she says.

"Thanks," he captures her lips in a kiss. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight Chuck," she snuggles tighter to him before falling asleep.

/

The next morning, they continue their walk back until they finally make it into New Angeles. They split from the backup squad and head for the Bartowski's laboratory. They get there with the replicator.

"Mom! Dad!" Chuck cheers enthusiastically as he steps into their laboratory. Mary rushes up to him and hugs him like she expected to never see him again.

"Chuck! I'm so happy you're okay!" Mary says in relief. "You're okay, right?"

"Yes, mom, I'm fine," he chuckles. "We got the replicator, but it wasn't easy."

"Great!" Stephen speaks up. "I knew you guys could do it." He takes the replicator from Casey. "This piece is essential."

"No problem," Casey grumbles.

"It's so great to have you back," Ellie hugs Chuck after he was released from his mother. After the air-relinquishing hug, Ellie takes a single step back. She clenches her fist and punches Chuck right in the left upper arm.

"Ow!" Chuck complains. "What was that for?" He rubs her arm while in pain.

"That is for scaring all of us." Ellie smirks devilishly and Devon mouths 'sorry' from behind her.

"Hey Awesome. Hey Arcade. I would high five you but I've lost feeling in my arm," Chuck quips as he rubs his arm.

"No problem bro," Devon puts his hands up in acknowledgement.

"Hi. I should probably get back to work," Arcade awkwardly waves to everyone and then walks off.

"Is he always all business?" Chuck asks.

"Yea," Mary answers quickly.

"Geek," Casey grunts under his breath.

"He is quite helpful though," Stephen clarifies.

"I'll be cleaning my guns," Casey informs everyone before walking off.

"He's all business too," Chuck quips. Sarah smiles with humor.

"What do you need next for the G.E.C.K.?" Sarah asks.

"We're still working on it. You two take a break. We'll let you know when something comes up that needs your help," Mary says sincerely.

"Sounds good mom," Chuck smiles at her with the thought of just being with Sarah without any mission in the way. Stephen leaves them to figure out how to link the replicator to the G.E.C.K.

The crowd disperses; leaving Sarah and Chuck alone to discuss their break.

"So…" Chuck drawls, "What do you want to do?"

"How about get some food?" Sarah suggests because they haven't eaten since the morning. At the moment she finishes her suggestion, Chuck's stomach growls something fierce.

"That would be a yes then," he plays it off as they walk out hand in hand after Sarah laughs at his stomach's perfect timing.

/

After they finished eating lunch, which was quite appetizing after eating MRE's for the last day, they head over to the NCR headquarters. They arrive there as the sun starts to set.

"I'm only going to be a minute. I just want to update him on the mission real quick. Go ahead and check out the armory or something. I'm sure you'll enjoy that," Sarah informs him.

"I'll see you soon," he smiles at her and gives her a quick kiss on the lips. They part ways as Chuck wanders aimlessly while Sarah heads to Graham's office.

Sarah knocks on Graham's door. "Come in," Graham's voice penetrates the door. Sarah walks in and stands at attention on the other side of his desk than him. "At ease Sarah. It's good to know you're alright." Graham notices that Sarah seems different in a good way; a skip in her step and a genuine smile on her face.

"Sir, I just wanted to inform you that we were successful in acquiring the replicator," Sarah updates him.

"That's good news. Is Bartowski a problem at all?"

"No sir. He is adjusting quite well."

"I would like a word with him next time."

"Actually, he's just outside checking out the armory," Sarah innocently says. Then horrification starts to appear as Chuck doesn't know to keep their relationship hidden.

"I'll have my men bring him in then," Graham picks up a radio and calls for Chuck to come in. A minute later, Chuck walks in and sees Sarah and Graham.

"Hi Sarah. Hello Sir," Chuck greets them; he is a little nervous. He gives Sarah a smile of radiant love. Graham notices it and immediately knows something is going on between them personally.

"Hello Mr. Bartowski—" Graham starts.

"Chuck. Call me Chuck," Chuck pleads and lets out a nervous giggle.

"Alright Chuck," Graham starts to get irritated, but understands he has no idea how people should be addressing a Director of the NCR. "I'm Langston Graham, Director of the NCR."

"So what do I call you then?" Chuck asks innocently. Sarah's eyes actually widen at such a disrespectful question, but it doesn't faze Graham.

"First names are fine, Chuck."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet Langston," Chuck extends his hand and Graham accepts it.

"I trust you are doing everything in your power to succeed in creating the G.E.C.K."

"Yes. I would never let my parents down…" Chuck hesitates for a second. "…or the NCR."

Graham nods and looks like he is deep in thought. Sarah starts to worry and Chuck has no idea what to do so he lets his mind wander. After the minute of silence, Graham breaks the silence.

"So how long have you two been together?" Graham asks calmly. Sarah's eyes almost jump out of her skull as a flood of fear fills her mind. Chuck coughs loudly as his breath catches in his throat.

"Uh, excuse me sir?" Sarah recovers first.

"It is a simple question and don't lie to me. The tension is obvious."

"It's been less than two weeks," Sarah answers shamefully as she drops her head in defeat.

"You know how relationships affect things," Graham starts to raise his voice in warning.

"Uh, If I may? What is wrong with having a relationship while in the NCR?" Chuck asks. Sarah is shocked by his calm stature. She is not sure if it is that Chuck doesn't care that much about her or that he cares so much that he is trying to give rational reasons for her and him to be together.

"It clouds your judgment and causes you to think irrationally when the person you care about is in danger," Graham answers Chuck's question.

"I understand your apprehension, but I believe it makes us better at our jobs because we have more motivation to succeed," Chuck argues sincerely. Sarah looks at Chuck with surprise at how quick he is reacting; although she has seen what happens when a soldier falls in love with a civilian and it has never worked. There is always the problem of the soldier being off on duty too often, but that isn't a problem now.

"It is a risk to worry about each other's wellbeing," Graham counters.

"I would defend Sarah with my life," Chuck declares. "Even if we weren't together. I would do the same for Casey because he is a teammate."

"It's easier said than done," Graham chides. "I cannot allow this to continue."

"No!" Sarah speaks up. "I will not let you reassign me. I have been completely loyal for the last five years. I can still do my job fine. I love him and I will not let you take him away from me," Sarah declares with full conviction and steps in front of Chuck subconsciously. Chuck is surprised by her sudden outburst as Graham is too.

Graham knows she has a perfect record ever since joining the NCR. He knows it is most likely attuned to the fact she had nothing to live for with her parents murdered. Graham trusts Sarah like a daughter and contemplates what his decision will be.

Chuck and Sarah watch as his brow furrows slightly and his lips purse as he retracts into his mind to his deepest thought processes. All Sarah can hear is how loud her heart is beating at the anticipation of Graham's decision as her skin slowly loses color in fear. Chuck finally realizes that they could take Sarah away from him so he starts to freak out.

Graham finally speaks up, causing Chuck's freak out to take a back seat to listening and Sarah tunes out her heartbeat. "Your relationship has not hindered your ability to do your job?" Graham asks intently.

"No sir. It has increased it," Sarah answers quickly; mentally thinking _just tell me if you're going to break my heart or not_.

"You know the risks you are taking in pursuing a relationship, right?"

"Yes," Sarah answers with a nod and Chuck nods too.

"Be cautioned that it can make decisions harder. I will allow you to explore your feelings."

A smile starts to appear on Chuck's face and Sarah takes Chuck's hand in hers. She glances at Chuck with renewed hope as a smile graces her beautiful face.

"Off the record; I'm glad to see you happy Sarah," Graham smiles like a father who is impressed with his daughter.

"Thank you sir," Sarah says as relief washes over her and the color of her skin fills back in. Sarah and Chuck both leave Graham's office. The second they get outside, Sarah jumps into Chuck's arms; wrapping her legs around his waist. He catches her as he stumbles back a few steps. He recovers and lifts her up by her ass. Her lips find his and she bursts with passion as her tongue demands entrance. He gives in instantly as he lets her devour him.

After two minutes of lip-locking and tongue-dueling, Sarah finally breaks it with a bright smile on her face. "I love you Chuck," she declares with emotion and love. "I couldn't let them take you from me."

"I know Sarah. I'm so glad we are allowed to be together," Chuck smiles at her his special smile that only she can bring out in him. "I love you."

/

Sarah and Chuck get back to 'their' home. They are quite exhausted after the long trek from Santa Monica and the discomfort of sleeping in a car. Chuck collapses onto the bed in a dramatic fashion. Sarah giggles at him as she strips to her bra and panties.

Chuck finally gets up and strips to just his boxers and climbs into bed. Sarah joins him a second later and finds her rightful spot against his chest.

"I feel so relieved that Graham said we can be together," Sarah states.

"It is nice to get his blessing," Chuck jokes. "In all seriousness though, is he just your boss?"

"What do you mean?"

"I saw signs of him actually caring for you personally."

"Jealous much?" Sarah quips as she steals a brief kiss on his lips. "First the Captain; now Graham? Oh shit! I forgot to ask about the Captain," Sarah sits up swiftly.

"It's okay. I don't really care and no, I'm not jealous," Chuck reels her back into her designated spot on his chest. "It's just that he seemed to genuinely care for you more than a Director of his soldiers should."

"He was my mentor," Sarah states simply, not revealing anymore of her past.

"So he taught you everything you know?"

"Pretty much."

"And your parents accepted that you wanted to be in the NCR?"

Sarah cringes slightly at the thought and Chuck notices it. "They weren't exactly there to change my mind."

"What does that mean? They didn't care about you? That's awful."

"No, they were great," memories of them flood her mind and she starts to feel sad. "My dad was the smoothest guy ever. He was able to convince anyone to do anything." A tear slips out of her right eye. "They're gone now though."

Chuck senses Sarah's discomfort and hugs her tightly to him. "It's alright if you don't want to talk about it."

"No, no," she insists, "it'll probably help to let it out." She hesitates for a couple seconds before continuing. "They died when I was twelve. They, they were murdered." Sarah cannot control her emotions as the tears threaten to emerge. Chuck has never heard Sarah stutter and knows that this must be the hardest thing she has ever had to say and experience.

"_Honey," a beautiful blonde woman in her late thirties with dark blue eyes says, "I want you to hide in here," she points to a hidden trap door underneath the stairwell._

"_What about you mommy? And Daddy?" A young twelve year old girl with blonde locks and bright blue eyes asks as she reads the panic in her mom's eyes._

"_We'll be right behind you. We just need to grab a few things," the older woman smiles as disarmingly as possible._

"_Please hurry mommy," the little girl pleads as tears start to form in her eyes._

"_Sarah, baby, everything is going to be alright," the older woman closes the trap door and runs off hurriedly._

"I'm so sorry Sarah. I didn't mean to bring it up," Chuck brings her closer and kisses her forehead.

"Raiders. They came and murdered the whole town," Sarah stops fighting her tears as she trusts Chuck completely. "I watched as my parents were brutally killed. I, I hid under the floor." Chuck finally knows why she has such a vendetta against raiders. "I miss them every day," she confesses into his chest with tears pouring out.

"_We have to hurry Jack," the blonde woman in her thirties insists worriedly. "They're going to be here any second."_

"_I know babe. I'll meet you down there in a second," a suave man with wavy dark hair and hazel eyes._

_Sarah listens as a loud bang interrupts the conversation. She scurries towards the front door from underneath the floor planks. She sees through the gaps between the wooden floorboards three men dressed in leather combat boots and leather pants. They are wearing tank tops and makeshift armor out of tires and steel scraps._

_Sarah sees her parents frozen in position as the three men walk closer to them. "I'm sure we can talk about this civilly," Jack pleads._

"_You had your chance Mr. Lichtenstein," one of the men readies a baseball bat. "No one cheats us out of our money. Now we're going to take that pretty wife of yours and rape her until the only thing she knows is cock," the man says deviously. One of the other men rubs his crotch while the third starts to undo his belt. They all have wicked smiles on their faces._

"_Jack?" The blonde woman pleads with pure fear as she takes a step back._

"_I have your money. I'll even give you more," Jack begs._

"_She's going to be our sex slave," the man with the bat licks his lips._

"_I'm sorry honey," Jack says in defeat. "I love you more than anything." He pulls out a gun from the small of his waist and shoots his wife in the head. Sarah jumps in shock from the loud noise, wondering what that was. The three men are startled by the gunshot and quickly attack Jack._

_Sarah watches as her mom falls to the ground, right above her. Sarah whispers softly, "Mom? Mommy? Are you alright?" After getting no answer, Sarah looks for her dad to see if he knows what is wrong with mommy. She hears another gun shot, followed by two more._

_She looks from the floorboards to see one of the men on the ground crying while holding his leg. She continues to look for her dad. She finds him on the ground, looking at her. She is about to say something before Jack speaks._

"_I love you darling," he whispers as blood sprays out of his mouth. "I love you—" He is abruptly cut off by a bat hitting him in the face. Sarah falls back in shock as her father's face is crushed in repeatedly and blood drips down through the cracks in the floorboard._

_She goes back to find her mom and sees blood pooling on the earth below the floorboards and at Sarah's feet. Blood is spilling down like multiple waterfalls. Sarah covers her mouth and runs into the corner._

_She rolls up into the fetal position with her knees to her chest and her arms around her knees from her seated position. She rocks back and forth as she hears the repetitive banging of the bat against Jack's face. Sarah tells herself that everything will be alright; that they are just sleeping although she knows that they aren't sleeping._

"Oh god, Sarah. I never knew. All those times I acted so happy with my parents in front of you. I feel horrible," Chuck almost cries as he cradles Sarah in his arms. Sarah is racked with sobs as she lets out all her emotions.

"It's not your fault. I love seeing you happy with your family." Sarah tries to smile through the rivers of tears along her cheeks.

"Well they are your family too. We are a family; Ellie, Devon, my parents, you and me." Chuck declares to try to bring her out of her sobbing depression. Sarah looks up at him in astonishment as if what he just said was life-changing.

"Thank you Chuck. You've given me something to live for." She hugs him tightly around his chest. "It's just I, I've never told anyone this before. Not even Graham," Sarah sorrowfully explains as she shakes from her sobs. Chuck doesn't know what to do. He has never seen someone so sad before.

"I will never leave you Sarah. I love you and maybe you will see my parents as your parents too. I know they think of you as their daughter," Chuck confesses humbly. "You know how much you mean to me. They know how much too. I will never let anything happen to you Sarah."

"Thank you Chuck. No one has ever cared about me like you and your family have," Sarah slowly calms down from her sobbing.

"It's our family," he declares with conviction. She snuggles closer to him. "Lets go to bed. Everything will be alright. I promise."

Sarah has never loved him more than she does now, but she doesn't know how to explain how much she loves him. "I love you so much."

"I love you too. Goodnight my love," Chuck whispers sleepily.

"Goodnight," she lets her now-dry eyelids close as she rests her head on Chuck's upper chest and drapes her arm across his stomach and a leg over his. They both fall asleep together; Sarah feeling lighter just telling someone else what happened to her parents and genuinely happy for telling Chuck first.

/

The next morning, Sarah wakes up as the sun filters across her face. Chuck's left hand is under her bra and cupping her left breast and his other hand is under her panties and cupping her right ass cheek. She slowly realizes where Chuck's hands are and that she is resting on Chuck and smiles brightly and hugs him tighter.

"Good morning babe," Chuck sleepily says as he now realizes where his hands are. He gives her an affectionate squeeze on her ass. She moans briefly in arousal.

"Good morning my love," she says back as she slides higher up on him to give him a kiss. "Thank you for staying with me last night. I really needed to tell someone what I've been bottling up."

"I can't think of a better place than to be lying under you. If you ever need to talk, I'm here to listen," Chuck responds sincerely with a kiss on her lips. "Just think of me as your own wailing wall," he quips with the brightest smile that only Sarah can induce.

"You're the best. I'm going to get in the shower. You want to join me?" She asks suggestively as she strokes down his chest and stomach as she climbs out of bed.

"How could I say no?" He quips as he follows right behind her with his hands on her ass. She giggles all the way to the shower.

The shower was definitely what Sarah needed as they were in there for a good hour before actually cleaning themselves.

/

Chuck and Sarah head to the laboratory after filling up on a heavy brunch meal. They walk in to see that Devon and Ellie are out and only Chuck's parents and Arcade are there.

"How is everyone?" Chuck asks as they walk into the lab.

"We're doing fine, son," Stephen answers. "Did you guys get some rest?"

"The best sleep I've ever gotten," Sarah answers as she pulls herself tighter to Chuck.

"How's getting the replicator online working?" Chuck asks.

"It's coming along," Stephen answers quickly.

"Oh yea! Dad, what's that thing you were working on to help me?" Chuck asks curiously. Sarah looks at Chuck with a furrowed brow because this is the first she heard of his dad making something to help other than the G.E.C.K.

"Ahh…" Stephen walks up to Chuck; his interest piqued. "It's almost completed. It should be ready for upload tomorrow."

"Upload?" Chuck asks inquisitively. "What exactly is this thing? A computer program? Please don't be any needle injections of some sorts," he says the last one with fear and worry. Sarah just listens with the same amount of curiosity as Chuck.

"It is like a, how should I say this, it is like a download into your brain," Stephen tries to clarify.

"I don't get it," Sarah supplies her confusion as well as Chuck's confusion.

"Over the years, I've been researching different fighting methods and maneuvers," Stephen explains as Sarah and Chuck's eyebrows furrow deeply. "I've learned to put these into fighting styles into subliminal images."

"What fighting styles are we talking here?" Sarah asks. "Muay Thai? Boxing? Judo?"

"Actually, all three of those and a lot more. This will give you," he looks at Chuck, "the ability to fight as well as you, Sarah, in any fight."

"That's impossible. I've trained for over five years now," Sarah answers in disbelief.

"I know it sounds too good to be true to be able to fight that well without any training, but I assure you that it does exactly that. Obviously, you will be better at fighting because you have formed your own style over the years and he is learning exact blueprints of textbook maneuvers," Stephen explains.

"So I could fight as well as Sarah?" Chuck starts to smile as realization hits him. Sarah starts to get jealous that Chuck could be just as good as her without any of the physical trepidations of training. "Sarah, this is a good thing," he turns to look at her. "Now, I will be able to protect you better, let alone myself."

Sarah didn't see it that way, but the realization finally hits her: Chuck will now be safer. A smile starts to grace her face and she looks back at Stephen. "How do we get this to work?"

"I just need you to watch the images and it should work fine," Stephen explains.

"Is it safe?" Chuck asks.

"Well," Stephen pinches his nose, "it is going to put a heavy strain on your brain, but I know you will be able to survive it."

"Survive?" Sarah asks in shock. "How dangerous is this? Have you ever tested it?"

"Only once," Stephen looks back at Chuck. "On you."

"Me?" Chuck flinches back animatedly with surprise. He has no recollection of being tested.

"To be fair, you did it yourself. You downloaded it once when you were very young."

"Then how come I have no recollection of it or any amazing fighting skills?"

"When you downloaded it, I only had one skill in the program."

"What skill? A little taekwondo? Karate?" Chuck asks as he does different fight poses; hoping for it to be something really cool.

"Missionary position," Stephen sheepishly answers as he averts his gaze in slight humiliation.

"What?" Sarah and Chuck both ask in unison.

"Well I originally intended it to spice up the bedroom per say."

"Too much information," Chuck cringes as he squints his eyes and crinkles his nose in disgust. Sarah smiles at the humor of such a thing.

"You wandered into my office one day and downloaded it. You wouldn't stop humping anything that had a flat surface from walls to your bed." Stephen explains as Chuck's skin turns bright red as the memories come flowing back. "I remember that one time you starting humping Mrs. Rob—"

"Enough," Chuck pleads as Sarah starts to laugh. "That was why I couldn't help myself? I thought I had a disorder!"

"So did everyone else," Stephen laughs. "You were only four at the time, so everyone passed it off as a phase in your growing up."

"Stop laughing," Chuck orders Sarah. "It wasn't my fault! It was my dad's!"

"I know but it is just so funny," Sarah hoists herself up from her doubled over position by placing her hand on Chuck's shoulder. She is just picturing a four year old boy with curly brown hair humping a wall or even worse, Mrs. Robinson's leg.

"You can't tell Casey ever," Chuck demands from Sarah.

"I won't," she says through her sparing laughter. "I promise." She gives him a quick peck on the cheek to convince him farther. He finally smiles genuinely and not with humiliation.

"I realized the potential of this from how well it affected you," Stephen tells Chuck. "Why waste it on my own selfish needs?"

"Enough," Chuck complains animatedly. "So what exactly would I be learning?" Chuck changes the subject.

"You'll be learning boxing, taekwondo, karate, muay Thai, judo, jiu-jitsu, fencing, and kendo," Stephen lists them all. "Firearms and throwing objects, you'll have to do by actually training."

"This sounds kind of awesome, just saying," Chuck smiles at Sarah and then back to his dad.

"You never told me if this is dangerous. Is this something the NCR can use to train their soldiers?" Sarah asks.

"The problem, as I was saying, is that it causes such strain on the brain that I think most people will lose their minds and go insane," Stephen starts explaining before Sarah interrupts.

"No! Insane? How could you do that to your own son?" Sarah starts to raise her voice. She would protect Chuck to her death. She is seriously confused on how someone could actually risk their only son's life for something that isn't even a necessity.

"I'm with Sarah on this. Insanity doesn't sound like my cup of tea," Chuck says in a nicer fashion.

"If you guys would let me finish, I know that you can take the strain because you already downloaded it once," Stephen finishes.

"Are you certain dad?" Chuck asks with slight worry.

"Almost completely son. If I wasn't this sure, then I would never risk my only son. You know that Charles."

"I know," Chuck expresses his understanding before turning to Sarah. "I want to do this Sarah. I want to be able to protect you but if you think I don't need it or you want to train me, then I won't do it."

"So there is no possibility of losing any part of him?" Sarah asks Stephen. She does love training with Chuck because his eyes always bug out when he sees her in her workout gear and the training usually leaves them quite exhausted, but she doesn't want to feel guilty if she says no. She can see how much he wants to do it and won't stop him as long as it's safe. She cannot think about Chuck possibly losing any part of him from his charming smile to his funny jokes and disarming personality.

"It is perfectly safe for him," Stephen answers.

"Then I think you should do it Chuck. I'm going to miss training sessions with you," she winks inconspicuously at Chuck, "but this will keep you safe and alive so I can lie in your arms at night."

Chuck smiles from ear to ear; almost his special smile that is for Sarah only. "We can still train. I think the training will still help," he winks back at her. "I want to do it Dad."

"Alright. I'll have it ready tomorrow," Stephen says with a smile.

/

The next day, Chuck and Sarah go back to the lab to download this thing into Chuck's head. He has been nervous for the last hours, not sure what is going to happen. Sarah has been with him the whole time trying to calm him down. Physical activities worked last night, but she can only last so long with him.

"I have it ready son," Stephen steps out of a room. "Just sit down in there when you're ready. And son, everything will be fine," Stephen says after noticing how nervous Chuck is.

"Thanks dad," Chuck mutters. Stephen walks away and before Chuck can do anything, Ellie walks up to him.

"Chuck, please don't do this. I don't want anything to happen to you," Ellie pleads.

"Dad said it was perfectly safe," Chuck argues.

"You know that Dad takes calculated risks," Ellie points out.

"Sis, I understand your concern, but this will help me in so many ways that I have to do it."

"How? It can affect your brain! You can lose your memory or your intelligence!"

"I can protect you," Chuck declares with conviction. "I can protect all of you: Mom, Dad, Devon…" he looks at Sarah lovingly,"… Sarah. I need to protect the ones I love."

"Fine," Ellie storms off in a pout.

"Well, I'll see you on the other side," Chuck quips to Sarah. "I love you," he kisses her on the lips.

"Don't you go insane on me," she warns playfully. "I love you too," she kisses him back.

Chuck walks into the room and finds the room is virtually empty except for a cheap steel chair. He sits down and instantly, the intercom turns on.

"Son, I am uploading the Intersect as we speak," Stephen's voice booms into the room. Chuck looks around for the source of the voice.

"Intersect?" He asks.

"I call it that because it is an intersection of multiple fighting skills."

"Alright," Chuck shrugs his shoulders.

"You will have very short term amnesia that will pass after a few hours of downloading. You may get a headache too. Please sit forward and watch ahead of you." Stephen explains from the adjacent room behind Chuck as he along with Sarah, Mary, and Ellie watch through a glass window.

Chuck looks forward at the plain concrete wall. Everyone in the adjacent room slips on sunglasses that Stephen gave them to protect their eyes. "Tell us when you're ready son," Stephen informs Chuck."

After a few seconds and some deep breaths, Chuck speaks up. "I'm ready."

"You're aces Charles, aces," Stephen says as he starts the Intersect.

The lights in the room turn off leaving Chuck in complete darkness. The wall in front of Chuck flickers with an image that seems to have just appeared out of nowhere, but in reality there is a projector over Chuck's head. As the first image fills the wall, Chuck's eyes lock onto it and he cannot look away or blink.

Hundreds of images fly by the concrete wall; Chuck is frozen in position. After the five minutes of different images on the wall, the projector shuts off and the room goes pitch black. Chuck slumps down in his chair and drops to the floor like a liquid substance.

Sarah looks on with horrification as his body falls lifelessly to the ground.

**/**

**I couldn't help myself. I had to add the Intersect. If just to make it more Chuck than just the characters. I hope no one is mad about that. I know there wasn't any action, but I hope that doesn't deter any of you fantastic readers.**

**Please review because I love them and nothing makes me happier than when I see those new emails in my inbox.**

**If you have any questions or confusion about anything, let me know in a review and I'll clear it up for you in a PM.**

**And don't forget to watch an all new Chuck tomorrow. It's going to be fantastic.**


	13. Chuck Versus the Flash

**I do not own Chuck or Fallout.**

**Thank you all for your reviews so far. I got some great ideas recently from a few reviewers and welcome any ideas any of you have.**

**I know how angry some of you are about last Chuck episode. Just know that it only builds up the inevitable. I'll leave it at that.**

**/**

_**Previously on Chuck Versus the Apocalyptic Wasteland:**_

_Hundreds of images fly by the concrete wall; Chuck is frozen in position. After the five minutes of different images on the wall, the projector shuts off and the room goes pitch black. Chuck slumps down in his chair and drops to the floor like a liquid substance._

_Sarah looks on with horrification as his body falls lifelessly to the ground._

_/_

Sarah looks at Stephen for insight on Chuck's sudden collapse. She is moments from busting through the door and falling to her knees and holding Chuck to wake him up.

"This is normal," Stephen assures everyone as he puts his hands up in surrender. "He will be fine. Lets go get him onto a bed." Everyone visibly relaxes as they go to help move Chuck from the floor to a bed.

/

Chuck's eyelids are heavy and he struggles to open them. He can feel something warm in his right hand. He focuses on it and squeezes his hand around the warm, soft object. It squeezes back and he realizes that it is a hand.

"Chuck?" A soft angelic voice calls to him. Chuck's vision is blurry and all he can make out is a blonde person in front of him.

"Hey angel," he whispers with a smile as his vision starts to clear. "My head is killing me," he groans.

"Here," the voice says. Chuck's vision clears to see a relieved smile on Sarah's face. She is holding a glass of water and some buffout.

"Thanks," he graciously takes the pills and water. He swallows three of them and lies back down.

"How are you feeling?" Sarah asks.

"Like someone is trying to punch their way out of my head," he answers. "How long have I been out for?"

"Four hours," she kisses him on the lips. "You had me scared for a little while there." She climbs onto the bed and hugs him tightly.

"What happened exactly?"

"You downloaded the Intersect—"

"Intersect?" He questions curiously.

"The program your dad made so you can fight?" She says with a tinge of worry that he might have lost his memory.

"Oh yea. So, do I have any cool new abilities?"

"You still need to rest," Stephen says from the doorway that he just appeared from. "We'll see how much you retained tomorrow."

"Alright Dad," Chuck says as Stephen walks out of the room to leave them to their privacy.

Chuck lays there in the comfort of Sarah against him and sighs in content. After a few minutes, his left hand finds its way onto her right ass cheek and gives it a nice squeeze.

"Chuck…" She warns playfully. He then slides both his hands under her shirt along her back. She looks at him and he has a devilish smile on his face. "Chuck, you're supposed to rest."

"I am resting," he argues calmly.

"Fondling my breasts is your way of resting?" She looks at him in disbelief with a raised eyebrow as his hands are now squeezing her breasts under her shirt.

"Yea," he lies as he continues to massage her chest under her shirt.

"Is this going to be a problem with your resting?" She asks as a smile starts to grace her face; still not making him remove his hands from her chest.

"I can't promise it won't," he smiles brightly.

She scrunches her lips in a smile. She quickly turns herself and lets Chuck spoon her. He lies there grinning like a fool while playing with her nipples. She just relaxes and enjoys the sensations going through her.

/

Chuck slept for the rest of the night, only waking up to eat dinner, which he was given while in bed. He wakes up in a similar position of spooning Sarah with his hands around her waist.

"Morning Chuck," Sarah says softly.

"Morning," he gives her a brief kiss on her neck before climbing out of bed.

"You get enough rest?" Sarah asks as she turns to look at him stretching and yawning without a shirt on. She resists the urge to lick her lips.

"Yea," he says through his yawn.

"You should probably get dressed and see your Dad. He's dying to see how the Intersect will affect you."

"That makes two of us," he quips as he puts his shirt on.

/

Chuck walks into the laboratory to see everyone working meticulously. He scratches his head as he walks up to all of them.

"Hey guys," he sheepishly greets everyone. Everyone turns around in slight shock.

"Charles!" Stephen cheers ecstatically.

"It's great to see you on your feet again," Ellie says in a relieved tone.

"You can say that again," Mary smiles at Chuck.

"So… how does this Intersect thingy work?" Chuck asks.

"Only certain images cause you to learn the skill," Stephen explains. "Just like whenever you saw Mrs. Robinson, you would—"

"I get the point," Chuck interrupts to save him from embarrassment. Everyone else snickers.

"I want to run a few tests before trying out the Intersect."

"Okay. Do your worse."

/

After a few hours, Chuck walks out of Stephen's office. He looks worn out and restless. Sarah, who had been watching over everyone working in the lab with curious intrigue, sees Chuck and smiles brightly at him.

"How'd it go?" She asks as he sits in the chair next to her.

"Fine, fine," he lies.

"Chuck," she deadpans with a raised eyebrow, "I know when you're lying. And the fact that you look annoyed and tired."

"Fine," he throws his hands in the air in annoyance, "I haven't even got to use the Intersect yet! All he did was run some tests to make sure my memory is still all there."

"Is it?" She asks, trying her best not to worry if he says no.

"Yea, I think," he sheepishly answers. "At least everything I normally remembered is still remembered."

"Good," she places her hand on his knee for comfort. "I told Casey that you are now as good a fighter as me. The first thing he wanted to do was fight you," she laughs, "After denying it of course."

"That doesn't surprise me, but first I need to make sure I can actually fight. I'd rather not get my ass kicked by Casey; just saying."

"He would be a great person to try the Intersect on."

"What? Why? No!"

"He has too much pride to say no and he wouldn't hold back."

"That's not cool."

"Son!" Stephen calls from the doorway of his office. "You ready to see what the Intersect can do?"

"I'm more than ready," he smiles as he stands up.

"I have the perfect sparring partner," Stephen informs him.

"Please don't be Casey, please don't be Casey," he mutters under his breath.

"Your buddy John Casey elected to 'mop the floor with you.' His words, not mine."

"Damn," Chuck squeaks in fear. Sarah starts laughing as she gets up next to Chuck.

"You'll do fine," she assures through her laugh before giving him a kiss on the cheek. Chuck walks over to Stephen with a fearful nervous smile.

/

Chuck walks into the 'dojo' as Stephen called it. He is wearing a plain white shirt and mesh shorts with his hands in red padded gloves that are taped on. The first thing he notices in the room is Casey's satisfactory smile. Chuck swallows loudly. Casey is wearing similar clothes and has the same type of gloves on.

"It takes the thought of beating me up to make you smile?" Chuck asks.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do this," Casey retorts.

"Can you at least go easy on me?"

"We'll see Bartowski," Casey laughs maniacally, which just scares Chuck more.

"Charles," Stephen's voice booms through the intercom, "I am not certain the exact visual cues needed to start the Intersect. I think if you picture Casey as an enemy, then it may work."

"Sounds fun," Chuck shrugs as he looks over at Casey. Nothing in particular happens as he focuses on Casey's form. Still nothing happens as his mind starts to think of what Casey can do to him. Chuck imagines Casey ripping his arms off and the thought freaks him out.

He looks at Casey and sees the impassive predatory grin on Casey's face. There isn't a single hint of joking or mercy. The fear increases twofold as Casey starts walking over to Chuck to dismember him.

Chuck feels a weird sensation in the back of his head and lets the sensation take over his mind as he feels it build towards the front of his head. His eyelids twitch and flutter involuntarily as he sees different boxing techniques and maneuvers.

Chuck's vision comes back after the brief millisecond of the Intersect taking over. A slight arrogant grin forms on Chuck's face and Casey gets more joy to see that Chuck thinks he has a chance.

Casey throws the first punch and Chuck dodges it easily and counters with a punch in the ribcage. Casey throws another punch that Chuck dodges yet again, but Casey anticipated it and brings his left hand in an uppercut; colliding with Chuck's chin.

Chuck stumbles back but recovers quickly. He throws a punch at Casey, who blocks it successfully. Chuck continues an onslaught of punches; Casey blocking all of them with ease. Chuck fakes a powerful right hook as he leans towards the right.

Casey sees the opportunity and lunges right at Chuck's left jab; crushing into Casey's face. Casey steps back and sizes up Chuck. "Not bad Bartowski," he grunts with a slight grin on his face.

"You haven't seen anything yet," Chuck replies smugly.

"That's what I was hoping to hear," Casey charges Chuck with a flurry of punches to the face and body. Chuck blocks all of them as he leans left and right, moving his gloves in the way of Casey's punches. Casey's punches are slow but powerful, paining Chuck to keep blocking.

Chuck steps back to gain the advantage of range because his arms are slightly longer. Chuck jabs at Casey, hitting him twice in the stomach and once in the face. Casey just looks at him with an even more insane look of predation.

Chuck continues keeping his distance with range, much to Casey's profane taunts and disgust. After four minutes of continuous fighting, Chuck has gotten quite tired from all the punches he's thrown. Casey, being the more endured and throwing fewer punches, has more energy.

Casey takes full advantage of Chuck's exhaustion and lunges forward with a hard right hook to Chuck's abdomen. Chuck cringes slightly, leaning forward to be blasted by Casey's left jab. Chuck stumbles back as his nose starts to bleed.

Casey continues his assault, punching Chuck in the stomach. Chuck blocks it but leaves his face open for a hammering right hook that throws Chuck back against the wall. Chuck feels his legs wobbling as he tries to stand straight.

"That's enough," Stephen says in the intercom. Casey backs off with a smile of victory on his face.

"Oh thank god," Chuck gasps breathlessly as he collapses onto the mat face first.

Sarah and Stephen were watching from the other room through the glass window in the wall. It was paining Sarah to watch Chuck get hurt, but Stephen kept reassuring her that he needs to rely on himself for help because she can't always be there for him.

After Chuck's collapse, Sarah rushes out the door and into the dojo. She drops to her knees by Chuck and turns him over. Blood is all around his mouth from his bloody nose and he looks up at her like she is an angel sent from heaven.

"I know boxing," he mutters happily before passing out from exhaustion. Sarah releases out the breath she didn't realize she was holding.

/

Chuck wakes up an hour later in the same bed he woke up in this morning. Sarah is once again at his bedside. He slowly sits up, pain coursing through his body. He groans in pain as he collapses back onto the bed.

"How are you feeling?" Sarah asks from the chair next to his bed.

"Not well. I can't even sit up without my ribs hurting," Chuck expresses his pain as he feels the slight swelling on his nose and cheeks with his hand.

"That is expected. You took some good licks from Casey."

"I got in a few myself," he smiles up at her.

"Yea, you had him until the end. You don't quite have the same endurance as him," she smiles back at him.

"I liked boxing but I want to try something a little more… athletic," Chuck says.

"Don't worry, we pumped you with stimpaks and you'll be healed and ready tomorrow."

"Really?" Chuck asks lethargically.

"You gotta love modern technology," Sarah quips.

"I don't have to fight Casey again, do I?" He asks fearfully. She can see the fear in his eyes.

"No, don't be silly," she laughs as she rubs his shoulder affectionately, "Casey isn't known for his agility."

"Phew," Chuck breathes out loudly as he relaxes into the bed.

"You're fighting me," she quickly says as she stands up and places a kiss on Chuck's lips.

"Oop," Chuck squeals as Sarah walks out with an air of confidence around her and a giant smile on her face.

/

The whole day goes by with Sarah being the nicest, sweetest angel she could be to Chuck. She did whatever he asked and even let him do whatever he wanted to her. She enjoyed it, knowing what was coming the next day. Chuck couldn't enjoy the short-lived day of temporary happiness as the next day comes around.

He wakes up with Sarah straddling him and her hands sliding through his hair. He looks up at the most innocent smile in the world. She places his hands on her ass as she leans down and kisses him on the lips.

"Good morning Chuck," she pipes exuberantly.

"Yea, for you," he mumbles, knowing what is coming soon for him.

"Ellie made you a special breakfast. She said it would help you…" she places her hand on her chin to look like she is thinking methodically, "… hmm… Oh yea, survive." Sarah laughs maniacally as she runs her hands down his bare chest and stomach.

Chuck looks at her wide-eyed with fear. "What?" He says inaudibly.

"Be ready in an hour sweetie," she climbs off of him and gives him a quick peck on the lips.

"Why did I have to heal so fast," he collapses into the bed. "Damn stimpaks," he mumbles under his breath.

/

Chuck walks into the dojo wearing similar clothes as the other day but this time he doesn't have the padded gloves on. Sarah is standing there limbering up by stretching. She is in just a tank top and those really short shorts that make it look like boxer briefs when she bends over.

In this case, she is bent over. She is reaching for her toes while keeping her legs straight to stretch her legs. Chuck takes one look at her and she has her back (more appropriately her ass) towards Chuck. Chuck's eyes glue to her ass and he cannot move them.

The door he just walked in through slams and it breaks him from his fixation as he jumps in shock. Sarah stands up straight and looks at Chuck with a smile. She quickly scans his whole body and then smiles brightly at him.

"Chuck," she stifles a laugh, "you're supposed to stretch your muscles."

He furrows his brow in complete confusion until he looks down and sees something threatening to tear through his shorts. "Oh," he embarrassedly covers his 'length' between both hands as his skin turns scarlet red. Sarah laughs at him as she continues stretching.

He tries to stretch but it is difficult for him because of his constant need to watch Sarah with a lustful look. After a few minutes of stretching, they both ready themselves on the mat; ten feet between them.

"Alright Charles," Stephen's voice comes through the intercom, "same as last time. I want you to, uh, what's a good word for it?"

"Retain?" Chuck shrugs his shoulders.

"No, that is not what you're doing. You're simply loading the fighting style in a flash," Stephen explains.

"Then call it a flash," Sarah suggests.

"That's not bad," Chuck smiles at Sarah.

"I actually like that. Alright son, I want you to flash on any fighting style that will help you survive," Stephen chuckles slightly.

"Jeez," Chuck throws his hands up in annoyance, "is everyone against me on this?"

"I am," Casey's voice fills the room from the intercom.

"Great," Chuck sighs in frustration, "Casey's watching."

"Don't worry. It shouldn't be as hard as you were," Casey chides at Chuck's inappropriate erection earlier.

"Ugh," Chuck shares his distaste; knowing he's going to hear about this forever. Chuck finds solace that at least Casey doesn't know about his first Intersect download of missionary position. Chuck finds his mind wandering to Mrs. Robinson. _She was pretty damn hot. Big breasts with a tight little body with hazel green eyes and brunette hair. She was definitely a milf. Wait, why am I thinking about Mrs. Robinson when I have the most beautiful girl in the world._ Before his mind could start counting the numerous body parts that he loves on Sarah, he realizes that he has to fight the most beautiful girl in the world.

He gulps loudly._ Fight Sarah? Oh god. If I let her win, she'll be mad at me. If I win, she'll hate me for showing off. Why does my life have to be so complicated?_

"Chuck, you ready?" Sarah asks.

"Is it too late to decline because I don't hit girls?" Chuck asks unsurely as his voice increases in pitch throughout the question.

"She's got more balls than you," Casey says through the intercom.

Chuck stands there for a few seconds of silence. "You're not going to defend your only son?" Chuck asks Stephen.

"Casey, that's enough. Just let him do this his way," Stephen tells Casey with a slight chuckle in his voice. "Alright," he continues after no retort from Casey, "I need you to flash the same way you did against Casey."

"I just imagined him tearing me limb from limb from limb," Chuck explains.

"Then imagine Sarah doing that to you."

"What? No! She would never," Chuck argues loudly. "Would you?" He looks at Sarah with the biggest puppy dog eyes and a lip curling pout.

"Obviously I wouldn't," Sarah smiles away his worries. "I love you."

"It's hypothetical," Stephen insists.

"Alright," Chuck tries to calm himself. He tries to focus on that same sensation that he felt when he flashed on boxing. He looks down at his fists and clenches them; trying to ready himself. Unbeknownst to him, looking at his clenched fists causes him to flash.

The same sensation courses from the back of his skull in less than a millisecond as his mind downloads the fighting style of karate and judo. The dual download startles him as his mind instantly blends the two styles into its own fusion of fighting style.

A smug smile graces his face with knowledge of how to fight. Sarah sees the smile and smiles just as arrogantly back; knowing he is ready. They both bow slightly towards each other before readying their fighting poses.

Sarah rushes Chuck with a right handed punch, but Chuck quickly dodges it while grabbing her arm and spinning her around. She catches herself and spins gracefully out of his attempt to throw her; sliding her arm out of his grasp.

She lunges at him again with a high right-footed roundhouse kick. He evades it with a lean. She continues spinning and tries a backwards kick with her other foot, but Chuck ducks under it and charges her while her left leg is still finishing its swing.

He throws a left hook that only grazes her stomach as she uses the momentum from her kick to spin out of the way of Chuck's punch. He then attacks her with a left karate chop and she blocks it with her right forearm. He continues with a right palm thrust that hits her in the left breast. She groans in pain as she steps back, rubbing her breast vigorously while giving Chuck a narrow-eyed look.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!" Chuck begs for forgiveness with his palms out in surrender.

Sarah laughs. "It's alright. Now stop holding back," she attacks him.

She takes one large step forward and jumps off her left leg which is in front; spinning in mid-air. She spins counter-clockwise so her left leg lands against Chuck's left forearm, but the strength pushes him back slightly. She lands and throws a quick punch that Chuck catches.

Chuck pulls her into him until they are flushed against each other. Chuck places his leg around the back of hers and sweeps her. She falls to the mat hard with a yelp. Before Chuck could contemplate another move, Sarah sweeps his legs from under him.

He drops to the mat next to her and she pulls him into a chokehold while lying on the mat and under him. Her left arm is around his neck and her right is under his right armpit as she grips her left forearm with her right hand and contracts towards her chest. Chuck struggles as she wraps her legs around his waist for extra leverage as she pulls back. Chuck involuntarily flashes on how to slip out of a chokehold.

He grabs her right hand with his left hand and pries her hand off of her left arm. At the same time, he grips her left wrist with his right hand and wrenches it off his neck while turning his head to slide under her arm.

She feels her grip loosening as he slides his head under her arm and out of her chokehold. He escapes her chokehold while still holding her arms. He rolls forward, using his momentum to toss Sarah over his shoulders and she lands on her back with her head between his legs, but before Chuck can do anything more, she lets the momentum roll her back onto her feet.

Chuck summersaults backwards swiftly getting to his feet. "Not bad, huh?" He quips as he recovers his breath from the chokehold.

"I think we've established that you can fight," Sarah visibly relaxes her whole body. "I'd rather not blemish his handsome face." Chuck smiles at her.

"Please, you couldn't beat me just now. What thinks you can hurt me?" Chuck immediately regretted saying that as he is now on the ground and Sarah is on top of him with her fist an inch from his nose. It happened so fast that he couldn't react at all. Apparently, she swept him with a quick back leg sweep and then dove over him with one leg on each side straddling him.

"What was that Chuck?" She asks innocently.

"I was just kidding," he acts like she should have known. She smiles as she climbs off of him and helps him get up by giving him a hand.

"It seems the Intersect is working well," Stephen says through the intercom. "I noticed you flashed while in the middle of the battle. Also, it doesn't seem like it is affecting your personality at all. Both of those are good, but I am still not sure you are ready for the field though."

"We cannot put the G.E.C.K. on hold forever," Chuck complains. "I think I'm ready," he declares with conviction and looks at Sarah for confirmation.

"Well," she unsurely crooks her head, "you were able to hold your own against me and Casey."

"How is the Intersect affecting your head?" Stephen asks Chuck.

"I'm fine. Never felt better," he pipes with a smile.

"So no migraines or random flashes or any hallucinations?"

"Not that I know of," Chuck shrugs his shoulders. "Unless last night was a dream," he looks at Sarah with sudden shock.

"Trust me," she deadpans with a humor-filled smile, "that was not a dream."

"Phew," Chuck drops his shoulders in respite before smiling brilliantly at her and she blushes faintly.

/

Chuck and Sarah are both eating a huge lunch meal after their exhausting fight. Ellie cooked them both 20 ounces of Brahmin steak and some potato crisps. Chuck devoured his steak quickly and is munching on the potato crisps while Sarah is still working on her steak.

"Chuck?" She asks him while at the table.

"Hmm?" He looks at her as he swallows the chewed up bits of food he hasn't swallowed yet.

"I hope I didn't hurt you too much today."

"No, I'm fine. I didn't hurt you at all, did I?"

"No," she laughs away his concerns.

"Are you sure I didn't hurt you at all?" He takes advantage of the question as he rubs her left breast as if he is examining it.

"I'm fine," she laughs away his feign concern. "Besides, I've been in a couple fights in my lifetime."

"Don't worry. I'll always have your back now," he kisses her on the cheek.

"My very own guardian angel," she jokes as she leans into him.

"You know it," he wraps his arm around her shoulders.

After about a minute of silent bliss, Sarah's curiosity gets the better of her. "Chuck?"

"Yea?"

"What is it like when you flash?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just the feeling in general. What is it like?"

"Well," he ponders thoughtfully, "I never thought of how I can describe it. Let's see…"

He sits there is utter silence, searching the depths of his memory and senses. Sarah watches his face as his brow furrows slightly and his eyes look off into the distance with no particular designation. After about a minute, Chuck is finally ready to give her his description.

"I feel a slight tickle in the back of my brain, if that's even possible," he explains. "The tickle quickly intensifies as it shoots to the front of my brain, gaining power, if that's poss—everything is hypothetical obviously." She nods in acknowledgement. "It's almost like it takes over my mind and my eyelids twitch as if they are trying to get my attention. Once I give into my eyelids constant uh, nagging, my vision instantly shows the Intersect files."

"Your eyelids do twitch slightly when you flash," Sarah provides.

"Well I guess that is how it feels to me. Once it downloads, I just feel like it is something I've been doing my whole life. Kind of like taking a shower or tying your shoes. It is like an impulse."

"That's crazy."

"I know, but the weirdest part is after the flash fades."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the ability only lasts temporarily."

"Then what does that feel like? A lost memory?"

"Sort of. It is like when you have a dream that you cannot quite remember but there are vague details that I barely remember. I remember all the fighting but trying to reenact those moves without flashing just feels so foreign and awkward."

"I think that's even weirder," she quips as she kisses him on the cheek.

"Hey, you asked."

"I know," she snuggles into him more.

**/**

**Now seems like a good place to stop this chapter, so I stopped it. I know there is no cliffhanger to the next mission but it had to be done. If you don't like it, deal with it or be kind enough to express your hatred in a review.**

**I have no actual knowledge of karate or judo (not even boxing) so don't hate me if you find flaws in the fight sequences.**

**Again, reviews are always encouraged and quite helpful. If you have any ideas that you think could improve this story, please let me know. I take all suggestions into account and try to see if there is a way for me to fit it into the story seamlessly.**

**I need reviews as much as Sarah needs Chuck and I get just as emotional (well not actually) but I do need those reviews. So, jump on your high horse and click that blue review link at the bottom of this.**


	14. Chuck Versus the Kicks

**I do not own Chuck or Fallout.**

**Chuck has been intersected with fighting abilities. How will this affect their missions?**

**/**

It's been a week since Chuck originally downloaded the Intersect into his brain. He has been testing out all the different fighting abilities it has given him. He is still learning how to control his flashes and what fighting style is the most advantageous in specific situations.

Chuck and Sarah are relaxing in the lab after a great training session in the discretion of her home. They'll just leave the training session as being labeled: phenomenal. They are waiting for Stephen and everyone else to figure out what is needed next for the G.E.C.K. as they have been doing for each day. Casey is never around because he doesn't have the patience to just sit around and do nothing, so he spends his time at the shooting range and the local bar.

"I think I get it!" Stephen exclaims. Chuck and Sarah hop up ecstatically and join him in curiosity.

"What?" Sarah asks with anxious excitement.

"We need a power generator that will power the replicator."

"What has that kind of power?" Mary asks.

"We need something with exponential power but miniscule in size," Stephen explains.

"A car battery isn't going to work, is it?" Chuck asks, knowing his answer but feels the need to at least try.

"No, that isn't nearly enough power and it's too big," Stephen narrows his eyes and slides his hands down his face slowly to clear his mind and think.

"How about a robot's battery like a Mr. Gutsy or Robobrain?" Sarah suggests.

"Maybe if we combine them," Stephen crooks his head in possibility.

"I got it!" Arcade almost shouts. Everyone looks at him expectantly. "A cold fusion power generator."

"Hmm…" Stephen studies the briefcase before him that contains what they have gotten so far of the G.E.C.K. "You know, that would work perfectly actually."

"The problem is finding palladium," Mary informs everyone.

"I don't get it," Chuck states sheepishly, thinking that palladium is only a natural metal.

"Cold fusion is fusing hydrogen with palladium. When their nuclei touch, it creates a nuclear reaction and releases a larger amount of energy. In this case, enough to power the replicator." Stephen explains to everyone.

"So where do we find this palladium?" Sarah asks.

"That's the problem," Mary relays her original issue.

"Okay," Sarah ponders, "lets start with the basics. What do we know about it, what does it look like and where is it most likely located?"

"It is created from molten rock," Stephen explains.

"So a volcano?" Sarah asks.

"That is probably the best chance."

"Alright, and what it looks like?"

"It is a glossy silver metal," Arcade informs Sarah.

"Aren't all metals pretty much silver?" Chuck asks.

"This one is shiny and is very light. Almost white mixed with the silver. You can't miss it," Arcade explains.

"Alright, so where would you find it?" Sarah asks.

"It is highly pyrophoric so it has to be in a dry area because if it is touched by water, it will ignite," Mary explains.

"Really?" Chuck asks incredulously as his cheeks tug at the corners of his mouth like that would be awesome to see.

"Yea, that is how we're going to create power from it," Stephen explains.

"The closest volcano is almost 200 miles away," Arcade complains. "It would take weeks to get there."

"If is it created from melted rocks," Chuck asks, "then how about where one of the nuclear bombs hit?"

"The closest one was in San Francisco," Arcade tells everyone.

"The very edge of the blast radius may have produced enough heat to create palladium," Mary thinks aloud.

"That's only forty miles north of here," Arcade supplies. "And the explosion probably evaporated any moisture in the air."

"Okay, so forty miles north, we'll find some along the crater," Sarah sums up where the highest probability of finding palladium is.

"All you need is a few grams," Stephen lets them know. He walks over to a trunk in the corner of the lab and starts digging into it. "Here," he says with his face still submerged in the trunk. He climbs out and hands Sarah a cylindrical tube. "Put it in here. This will keep it safe from any moisture. It is vacuum sealed."

"Thanks," Sarah graciously accepts. "We should grab some supplies for the long road ahead of us."

"On the road again," Chuck quips in a sing-song voice. "How 'bout you go let Casey know we have the next mission and I'll pack some food and water?"

"Sounds good," Sarah smiles at Chuck. "We'll push out in an hour," she kisses him a farewell kiss on the lips.

/

An hour later, the three of them are packed and ready to go. Casey brought Candy, his .50 caliber anti-material rifle, along with his modified M4 and his sidearm. Sarah is sticking with her favorite pistol and a backup one. Chuck has his two pistols on him too and has a backpack full of water and food. They all have their combat knives on them. Sarah is dressed in her NCR Veteran Combat Ranger armor and duster jacket over it. Chuck is wearing a thin NCR recon armor that is light and flexible, and Casey is wearing NCR bandoleer armor that has extra pockets to hold ammo for Candy.

"It looks like we're all ready," Chuck muses while everyone is watching the three of them in the lab. "We'll be back in a few days."

"You come back to us safely," Ellie hugs Chuck tightly. "You better protect her baby bro. I know how much she means to you," Ellie whispers into Chuck's ear while hugging. "Don't let anything happen to him," Ellie orders Sarah and Casey. They both nod curtly.

They leave after giving their farewells to the rest of the group.

/

After only about a mile, they walk along the vacant streets as trash and debris blows across the road. There are desecrated stores on each side. One store in particular has the letters 'F- Lock-' on it. It catches Chuck's attention because most of the glass is still there, albeit cracked, and there is a giant shoe decal inside the store. Chuck furrows his brow as he tries to figure out what it used to say.

"What's in there?" Chuck points at it.

"Don't know; don't care," Casey answers.

"Can I go check it out?" Chuck asks innocently. "I think they may have shoes," he looks down at the worn soles he has had for two years now and the wasteland has really deteriorated his vault-issued shoes in the last few weeks.

"We have a long way to go," Sarah tries to deter his mind from the shoes.

"Don't you guys need new shoes at all? Mine are worn down pretty badly," Chuck insists.

"We don't have time for this," Casey seethes but his tone sounds like he is giving in to Chuck's demand.

"Please," Chuck pleads with puppy dog eyes to both of them. Sarah struggles to fight off his adorable look.

"I guess it can't hurt," Sarah lifts her right foot and looks at her worn down sole of her combat boots aimlessly.

"Ten minutes," Casey orders as he sits on the sill of the store as Chuck and Sarah go inside to scavenge.

After a few minutes of scavenging the front, they find nothing and Chuck sees a back door. His first thought is 'jackpot' as he walks up to the door like it is a doorway to heaven.

"You think there's stuff behind there?" Sarah startles him.

"Huh?" He jumps slightly. "Most likely," he tries to open it but the door doesn't open. "But it's locked."

Sarah pulls out her pistol and fires a single shot at the door handle.

"Whoa!" Chuck jumps back from the loud noise.

"It's open now," she smiles at him as the door creaks open.

"Warn me next time you do that," Chuck jokingly complains.

They both go inside and find the shelves filled with shoe boxes. Chuck runs through the aisles of boxes like a kid in a candy store. Sarah watches him with a genuine smile of love on her face. She doesn't care about the shoes, but Chuck's happiness is definitely worth it.

Chuck grabs a random box from one of the shelves and it feels very light to him. He opens it cautiously and the box is empty. He sighs with disappointment as he runs his hand along the aisle; knocking over all the shoe boxes that are empty, realizing how fun it is.

Sarah watches the enjoyment Chuck is getting from knocking the boxes off the shelves and making a mess. She decides to join and knocks her own aisle down. She is surprised by how therapeutic it is to not have to worry about getting in trouble or anything. They both laugh as they lock eyes and run down the same aisle at the same time, knocking over the boxes from both sides.

They get to the last aisle and run down it, knocking the boxes over until Sarah's hand hits a heavy box. Chuck reaches the end and realizes that Sarah stopped.

"What is it?" Chuck asks as he walks back to her.

"This box isn't empty," she tells him as she slides it off the shelf and inspects it.

"Hey, that's my size," Chuck quips after reading the side of the box.

"Lets see what's inside," Sarah gives him a brief glance as he nods.

She slowly opens the box to reveal a tissue paper over some black shoes. She unravels the paper to reveal some high-top black shoes with white soles and a white toe. There is a white emblem along the ankle of the shoe. It has a blue star in it and some writing.

"What's a Converse All-Star?" Sarah muses loudly.

"Wow," Chuck drools in awe. "It must be a godsend."

"Not too many people believe in God anymore," Sarah replies.

"They even have my name on it," Chuck continues; not being deterred by Sarah. "Can I have those?"

"Only for the low price of forty caps," Sarah jokes as she keeps the shoes out of Chuck's reach.

"Is there a discount for buying the only shoes left in the place?" Chuck playfully asks.

"Twenty Caps then," she slowly pulls the shoebox back in and ready to give it to Chuck.

"Is there a discount for loving you so much?" Chuck kisses her on the neck.

"Twenty more caps off," she moans shakily from the kiss. "Here," she hands the box to him. "Try them on."

They both walk back to the front of the store and Chuck sits at one of the benches inside to try them on. Sarah sits next to him and watches as he delicately removes the shoes from the box; the smell escaping and filling all of their sinuses.

Chuck removes his worn out shoes and slides his right foot into the right Converse shoe as if it was a glass slipper. His foot fits perfectly and Sarah can see the smile growing on Chuck's face. He then slides the other foot into the other shoe. He weaves the laces to the top and ties the knot.

He pulls on both laces to tighten it. It makes a nice crisp slap as the laces tense up and knot. He does the same with the other shoe and it makes the same pleasurable sound.

Chuck slowly looks up at Sarah with a huge grin on his face. "I don't know who this Chuck Taylor guy is," he muses happily, "but he makes some amazing shoes."

She walks him over to the register with a gigantic grin on her face. "Let me just ring you up," she jokes as she pretends to hit buttons on the dusty and obsolete register.

Chuck and Sarah walk out of the store and Casey sees them from the sill and stands up quickly. "Finally," Casey grunts.

"You like my new kicks?" Chuck stretches his leg out to boast about his new shoes. "I call them Chuck's in honor of the name on them and the fact that it is the same name as mine."

"Congratulations," Casey says lethargically. "Can we go now?"

"Yea," Chuck pulls his leg back with slight disappointment from Casey's lethargic response, but Sarah gives him a peck on the cheek that boosts his spirits. They retake up their pathway north.

/

After a few miles out of the city, the buildings become barren and the deserted dirt of the wasteland starts to take over. There are very few buildings left and the sun is bearing down on them.

"This heat is getting unbearable," Chuck complains lightly; still fascinated by his new shoes, giving glances at them every once in a while. He licks his thumb and cleans off the toe of his left shoe with said thumb.

"It's only going to get worse," Casey quips with a strong pat on Chuck's back.

"Thanks," Chuck deadpans sarcastically, "I really needed that."

Sarah stifles a laugh as she looks at both of them. They continue for a few more minutes as they get to an area that is quite barren with totally uprooted houses on both sides of the road. The only remains of the houses is the foundation, a few wooden beams to support what used to be walls, and the pile of junk that used to be the interior decorations.

They hear a quiet cry from a woman that startles all of them. "Did you hear that?" Chuck whispers.

"Sounded like a little girl," Casey muses as they continue to cautiously continue.

They hear the cry a little louder and almost audibly.

"Stay alert," Sarah orders, "it could be a trap."

Another female cry that sounds like 'help me please.'

"A trap?" Chuck argues in a whisper. "She needs help."

"Please," the female voice cries out, "I need help!"

They get past the houses to see a woman sitting on the ground past the house on the right. The woman looks tired, malnourished, and dirty. Her clothes are torn up and she is huddled in the fetal position while holding something wrapped in a blanket.

"Please," she notices them and looks at them with desperation, "help me. My baby's not waking up," she cries out as she extends her arms out holding her baby.

"We should take a look," Chuck whispers. Casey looks around in skepticism, sniffing the air as if it has a bad stench to it.

"Fine, but don't let your guard down," Sarah reluctantly lets Chuck walk up to the woman.

"I don't like this," Casey muses with a scowl on his face as he readies his M4.

Chuck takes the baby from the woman and unwraps the blanket around it. He gets to the core of the blanket to find a burnt toy baby. "What the—" Chuck starts to ask before six men walk out from behind the destroyed houses. The men are wearing dirty pants with plain dirty shirts on. Two of them have handguns, one of them has a lead pipe, and the other three have large knives similar to machetes.

"Look what we have here," the leader of the men says smugly with his pistol wavering around leisurely like he is totally confident of himself. Casey and Sarah both aim their weapons as the men surround them. "A few NCR troopers just happen to stroll by."

"We don't want any trouble," Sarah says through clenched teeth. Chuck drops the baby and aims his gun as he steps back into Casey and Sarah; all three of them are touching backs as the men circle them.

"We have better guns than you. Just leave and we won't kill you," Casey orders as he aims his gun at the leader.

"But the odds are on our side," the leader smiles smugly. "Can you guys take out all six of us before we can kill the three of you?"

"I don't know. You want to test it?" Casey taunts them.

"Just give us your food and water and we'll let you two go," the leader points to Chuck and Casey.

"You fucking pervert," Sarah narrows her eyes as she aims the gun at the leader. Chuck looks back at the man over Sarah's shoulder with a fearful look. Casey switches his aim to the other guy with a gun.

"I'm only human," the leader licks his lips, "and a man. Don't worry doll, we'll take good care of you," the leader puts a heavy suggestive emphasis on the word 'good' and smiles wickedly. "We'll keep you well fed." Casey has to muster all of his self-control as his anger and hatred for these people reach a critical level. He would never let anyone harm his partners.

Sarah gags heavily at the thought as her stomach contracts and tries to push what food is left in her stomach up. She almost has to cover her mouth but pushes the urge to vomit back down. "I'll take the pervert," Sarah informs Casey and Chuck with a scowl on her face.

"Sounds good," Casey smirks as he aims at the other guy with a gun.

"I'll give you three seconds!" The leader demands. "Three seconds to leave the girl to us!" Chuck, Sarah, and Casey narrow their eyes with their guns aimed. "Three!" The man aims his gun at Casey as the other ones get ready to charge. "Two!" The other man aims his gun at Chuck as a devious smirk grows on Sarah's face. "One!" The man is confused by her smirk because she should be scared unless she is psychotic.

A loud bang followed by a burst of three bullets cuts the tension as the leader tries to look at his forehead where a hole now exists; courtesy of Sarah's pistol. He drops to his knees as blood seeps from the whole in his forehead, and then he collapses on his face. The other enemy with the gun drops to his knees and onto his face from three bullets from Casey's M4 that collapses the enemy's chest inward.

Chuck, along with the other four men jump from the unexpected gunshots. Chuck fires one shot that pierces one of the enemy's holding a machete in the chest as the enemy tries to charge him. The man crumples over as the last three attack them with their weapons and are in too close of a range for the guns.

The man with the pipe attacks Casey and Casey blocks the overhand swing with his M4.

Chuck instantly gets that feeling again and lets it take over him as he flashes on judo and how to disarm a blade. With his new downloaded skills, he dodges the enemy's diagonal slash with the machete and grabs the enemy's right arm, which has the blade in it. He quickly spins it and twists the enemy's wrist until the blade drops from the enemy's hand.

Sarah catches the overhand slash of the enemy who attacks her with a machete by his wrists. She knees him in the enemy's vulnerable stomach; lifting him off his feet.

Casey pushes the enemy with the pipe back. The enemy recomposes himself and tries a baseball swing with the pipe. Casey catches the enemy's pipe in mid-swing in his left hand and punches the enemy in the face with his right hand.

Chuck, taking advantage of the Intersect's judo abilities, flips the disarmed enemy and the enemy falls onto his back hard.

Sarah then pulls the enemy's outstretched arms to her right and delivers another crushing knee, this time right into the enemy's groin. The enemy buckles over in unbelievable pain and falls to the ground holding his groin and dropping the blade in his hands.

Casey pulls the pipe towards him and the enemy, who hasn't let go of the weapon, is hurled towards Casey and his fist. Casey's right fist craters the enemy's face with the increased power from the enemy falling into it. The punch was so powerful that the enemy is knocked completely unconscious instantly and falls to the ground.

Chuck stomps forcibly with his brand new shoe from his standing position into the enemy's lower back while the enemy is on the ground; leaving a very brief imprint of diamond shapes on the enemy's lower back. The enemy arches his back in pain and Chuck wraps his arm around the enemy's neck and constricts.

Sarah takes one step back and throws all her power into a long golf-swing like kick that crashes into the enemy's chin from his kneeled position. The enemy visibly did a backflip as blood sprays from his missing teeth and torn up tongue that he bit down on when the kick landed. The enemy lands on the top of his head and tumbles over face down and unconscious.

Chuck squeezes tighter and tighter around the enemy's neck until there is no fight left in the enemy and the enemy passes out from the constricting blood and air flow. Chuck releases the unconscious enemy and the enemy flops back to the ground lifelessly.

Chuck and Sarah meet eyes to make sure they are both safe after seeing the enemy they each just took out. "Loving the new kicks," Chuck tells her. She grins at him with bulbous cheeks.

"What do we do with her?" Casey asks as he stands over the woman who tricked them into the ambush with a gun to her head. She is on her ass and trying to crawl away in utter fear as she raises one hand up like she is trying to push them away.

"Leave her," Sarah answers with venom in her voice.

"Sounds good," Chuck straightens out his backpack and gets ready to continue. He hears a loud whack and turns around to see the woman knocked unconscious and Sarah rubbing her fist. "Really?" He deadpans.

"I wanted to send a message," Sarah explains her reasons with a smile. Casey aims his gun at one of the unconscious enemies; ready to kill him but Chuck notices.

"Casey!" Chuck quickly blurts. "What are you doing?"

"Getting rid of this scum," Casey replies with hatred in his voice.

"Please don't kill him. They were just trying to survive," Chuck argues compassionately. Sarah has never seen such sympathy from someone and she doesn't know how to react.

"They don't deserve to live for trying to rob us," Casey argues back and then raises his voice. "They wanted to rape her!" He points at Sarah, making a big point; expecting Chuck to side with him. Casey would never admit it but Sarah has almost become like a little sister to him and he would do anything to protect her.

"To be fair," Chuck says, "that was only the one guy she so nicely placed a bullet hole in his head," he smiles so disarmingly.

"Fuck!" Casey shouts. "Why do you care so much Bartowski?"

"Everyone deserves a second chance," Chuck states.

"Not these vermin. They don't deserve to live."

"Enough," Sarah interrupts their conversation. "I am gracious for you wanting to protect me Casey, but we don't have time. Just let them run home with their tails between their legs."

"Thank you Sarah," Chuck relaxes, knowing she is on his side.

"Fine, lets keep moving. We have a hell of a long walk to go," Casey continues walking with them following behind. They left the men who attacked them on the ground, but took their weapons so they'll scatter and won't be a problem for the team's trek back. Chuck and Sarah both now have three pistols, each have one machete-like blade, and they left the lead pipe ten yards away and behind a bush.

/

They continue their trek north towards San Francisco, more appropriately the edge of the blast radius, when their shadows are starting to stretch and the sun is starting to set over the desolate, empty wasteland around them with no sign of life in any direction.

"Let me see your pip-boy," Sarah takes Chuck's left arm and checks the map on it. They had already marked where the general location of their objective is. After deciphering the map, Sarah looks up, "looks like we're still approximately thirty-two miles away. I say we go for another two miles and then camp out."

"Good plan Walker," Casey agrees. "It's not safe at night."

"What are there, zombies?" Chuck jokes with a mocking eerie tone and gets a raised eyebrow from both his partners. "Oh yea; bad metaphor," he remembers dealing with the ghouls that are essentially zombies although they never technically died. "What's so dangerous about night time?"

"Not being able to see ten feet in front of you, nightstalkers, any more convincing needed?" Casey asks smugly.

"No, I get it. I'm just not tired at all," Chuck replies nonchalantly.

"Thanks for electing to take first watch," Casey gives a snorting laugh.

"What? No!" Chuck complains. "Dammit!" Casey chuckles victoriously.

"It's not so bad Chuck. You just have to keep your eyes open," Sarah assures him.

"Wait a second," Chuck thinks up a devious plan. "Casey, you trust me with your life?"

"No," Casey responds boldly; making Chuck think his plan is going to work flawlessly. "I trust that you wouldn't let anything happen to Walker and I'm just reaping the benefits."

"Damn," Chuck's plan of getting Casey to not trust him enough to let Chuck stay guard fails horribly. Sarah gets a good laugh out of it as they continue walking along the barren and cracked road that used to be the 5 freeway.

/

The sun is completely gone and that is the biggest sign they should stop. Sarah takes a quick glance at Chuck's pip-boy to see how much farther they made it and it was about two miles. They followed the freeway as it dipped and crumpled, making the path un-drivable if cars still worked. The freeway ahead of them has a huge gap of rubble that blocks their path. Their only choice is to climb down the twenty feet or backtrack to an off-ramp.

"We should camp right here," Casey points to the edge of the broken freeway. "That way we only have to watch the way we came."

"Sounds good," Chuck shrugs the backpack off his back. "Anyone thirsty or hungry?"

"I'll take some water," Sarah sits on the ground. Chuck tosses her a water bottle and she starts drinking.

"So… Are there any tips to staying awake?" Chuck asks, dreading having to stay awake.

"Yea," Casey answers, "don't fall asleep."

"Thank you Casey," Chuck sarcastically says. "You always have the best advice."

"Just keep your mind active and play around with your pip-boy. It'll help you pass the time," Sarah suggests through chuckles from Chuck's response.

Chuck grins deviously, thinking _don't worry, my mind is running all over every flawless curve of your body._

"Just watch our backs Bartowski," Casey lugs off Candy and plops onto the freeway; leaning his back against a comfortable piece of rubble. "Wake me up in four hours," Casey closes his eyes and falls into slumber as if someone pressed a shutdown button on him.

"Is he asleep already?" Chuck asks as he studies Casey's face.

"First Recon Snipers are trained to shut their bodies down instantly to get as much sleep as possible," Sarah explains as she tries to get comfortable. Chuck sits down and finds a comfy spot against a large section of rubble

Chuck watches as she struggles to find a comfortable enough position to sleep in. After about a minute of watching, he suggests, "Sarah," he motions for her to come over, "you can sleep on me."

"I'm flattered but I don't want you to fall asleep," she smiles slightly but is serious.

"Don't worry," he smiles from ear to ear, "I don't think that is going to happen."

She scrunches her lips in a smile because she knows exactly what he means. "Fine, but you have to play some music."

"Fine by me," he smiles as she lies down with her head on his lap; using his lap as a pillow.

"You like the new shoes?" She asks a bit sleepily as she plays with the laces on them.

"I love them," he kisses her on the head as he kicks his feet together gently. "Thank you for finding them."

"You're very welcome," she smiles and closes her eyes, ready for sleep to take her. "Goodnight Chuck," she barely even mumbles.

"Goodnight Sarah," he continues fiddling with his pip-boy until the suave, charming radio host's voice comes through.

"Hello there boys and girls," the radio host whispers. "It's getting late for all you celebrities out there so here's a tune that will help you end the night and start tomorrow refreshed: _'S Wonderful_ by 'the First Lady of Song' Ella Fitzgerald."

The music starts to flow as Chuck softly combs Sarah's head and massages her scalp with long gentle strokes.

_Don't mind telling you, in my humble fash_

_That you thrill me through,_

_With a tender pash,_

_When you said you care, 'magine my emoshe_

_I swore then and there, permanent devoshe,_

_You made all other men seem blah_

_Just you alone filled me_

_With ahhhhhhhh..._

Sarah is lulled to sleep by the combination of music and Chuck's amazing fingers. "I love you," she mumbles drowsily before falling asleep. Chuck just smiles from ear to ear as he continues to stroke her hair affectionately.

_'s wonderful, 's marvelous_

The song picks up pace slightly.

_You should care for me!  
's awful nice, 's paradise,  
's what I love to see._

Chuck watches Sarah sleep with a giant smile on his face; thinking about how much he loves her.

/

Time flies as Chuck continues admiring Sarah's sleeping form in his lap and her golden hair that flows so beautifully; his hands still massaging her scalp. Chuck realizes that it has already been four hours and twenty minutes and it is Casey's turn to be the sentinel.

Chuck debates on what to do. He doesn't want to wake Sarah up by standing up but he would love to get some sleep. He looks around for something to throw and finds some rocks. He picks up a rock and tosses it lightly underhand at Casey, hoping Casey doesn't retaliate in a hostile way.

The rock taps Casey's left shoulder. Casey's eyes instantly open and he is aiming his pistol at Chuck; his stare is colder than ice and he looks like he's ready to kill.

"Sorry Casey," Chuck says sheepishly in a whisper. "It's been four hours."

"Fine; enjoy your beauty sleep," Casey grunts as he gets up and stretches. Chuck lets himself go and he falls asleep almost immediately.

/

Sarah slowly wakes up from the feeling of the very thin layer of moisture forming on her face. She opens her eyes slowly to see the sky is an oceanic blue and the sun hasn't quite risen past the hills in the distance. There is a feint glow coming from where the sun is rising.

She wipes her face and eyes as her visions clears to see Chuck's fresh new shoes. She smiles as she sits up and sees him sleeping. "What time is it?" She sleepily asks Casey.

"About six," Casey replies. "We should probably start moving now that it's light out."

"Alright, I'll wake Chuck," she turns to Chuck and contemplates what she should do. She could go with rubbing him in a certain area but that is too graphic for Casey, so she resides with a new plan.

She lifts his head and gives him a kiss on the lips. She pries his mouth open with her tongue and explores the crevices. She feels his tongue react and she knows he is now awake. She retracts her tongue and head to see his loving chocolate eyes.

His eyelids sluggishly open to see her smiling from ear to ear. He looks into her gorgeous turquoise eyes. "Hey beautiful," he mumbles sleepily with a smile.

"Time to wake up," she tells him with an even larger smile.

"Alright," he leisurely gets up. Chuck glances at his shoes for a second. He licks his thumb and rubs off a scuff mark he sees.

They pack their stuff up and ready themselves for the long walk ahead of them. Chuck puts the backpack full of food and water on, Casey puts Candy along his back, and Sarah checks the ammo in her guns before they head out.

**/**

**I hope this story is progressing in a positive way to all of you readers. I am not sure what I have in store as I haven't written it yet, but I will try to keep it to your liking.**

**I have yet to figure out how to increase the amount of reviews I get. Those stories that have hundreds of reviews are just insane and I hope to achieve that at some point. I love how a story from a well-known fanfic writer gets over fifty reviews from two chapters and it took me nine chapters to ellipse that amount. Do readers not enjoy this story or is it purely the fame that elicits the amount of reviews?**

**Anyways… Please review because it is the only way for me to feel appreciated and motivate me to continue writing because it is starting to get tough and writer's block is creeping up on me.**


	15. Chuck Versus the End of the World

**I have to clear up the air a little bit from my last author's note. I am not disappointed by the amount of reviews. I actually think I have accumulated a fair amount. I also am not trying to badmouth anyone as I enjoy reading everyone's stories as much as the next Chuck fan. It was just a way for me to vent. You need to understand that 95% of my author notes are humorous and a joke. That means 5% of what I write is truthful and serious. And what I just said here is part of that 5%.**

**Also, yes the scene with the lady was practically stolen—I mean borrowed by the Book of Eli. That is what writer's block does to you; it makes you st—borrow ideas and tweak them. At least for me it does. I do not mean any copyright infringement and (sadly) I don't make money off of these stories.**

**Now that all that is cleared up, I do not own Fallout or Chuck (or anything else I may have borrowed [I like how plagiarized is a synonym] from other movies, TV shows, or books).**

**/**

"Left foot; right foot," Chuck chants in a sing-song tone as he takes each step with the respective foot. "Left foot; right foot. Left—"

"If you don't shut up," Casey demands as he presses his pistol into Chuck's nostril, "I will end you."

"Okay," Chuck mutters quickly with fear and Casey backs off. "Are there any other songs you guys want to sing?" Chuck asks as he gets to a safe distance from Casey.

"No!" Sarah almost shouts. She may have not shown it but she is almost as annoyed as Casey about Chuck's incessant singing.

"I'm going to do it," Casey shakes his head with an evil look as he pulls out the machete he acquired from those men who ambushed them yesterday. "I'm going to kill him." Chuck cowers away; finding his way behind Sarah and using her as a shield. Casey's eyes follow Chuck until they fall on Sarah's scowl that denies him what he wants. "Come on," Casey begs with the most passion they have ever seen from him, "just let me slice off a little bit. Just his tongue; please…"

"You're not cutting off his tongue," Sarah demands. "You're not hurting him at all!" Sarah then turns around to face Chuck. "You need to stop singing. You're giving us all a headache. Please," she stresses with a huff.

"Alright," Chuck answers as he looks at the ground. "I'm sorry guys. I'm just kind of bored."

"Really?" Casey says incredulously.

"Chuck," Sarah suggests, "drink some water and eat some Fancy Lads snack cakes."

"I'm not that hungry yet, but I would love how to throw a knife," Chuck replies with pure curiosity. Sarah gives him a raised eyebrow in surprise that he would want to know something like that. "I've always wanted to be able to throw knives with deadly accuracy and no offense Casey, but Sarah seems to have it down."

Casey grunts indifferently.

"I guess I could teach you," Sarah shrugs her shoulders as she pulls out a throwing knife from her leg holster that is hidden under her duster jacket on her right leg.

"Better than singing," Casey mumbles as Sarah shows the custom knife that Sarah had made specifically for her style of throwing knives.

/

The day passed by quickly and uneventfully; with Sarah teaching Chuck everything she could about throwing a knife accurately and Casey just leading their way. They camped out about five miles before their destination. The camp-out consisted of a little dinner, a little music (Chuck and Sarah danced; it wasn't her idea), and mostly sleep.

/

Chuck gets the chance to wake Sarah up this time as she had done two nights ago (Chuck had the double sleep shift last night and Casey got it this night). He spent his shift time practicing his throwing knife accuracy with Sarah's knife. Chuck thinks back of how she woke him up with a passionate tongue-dueling kiss and he wants to one-up hers.

His first thought was to show her how good he is with a throwing knife by landing it near her, but scrapped that immediately. He is not that well-trained yet and cannot risk injuring her or worse. He also thought of 'feeling' her up, but what if she slices his hand off from instinct or habit? That would not be good either, so that idea is dragged to the recycle bin quickly as he shivered slightly.

He decides on a more traditional morning of breakfast in bed, per say. He pulls out a box of Blamco mac & cheese and opens a bottle of water for her. He opens them up and sets them just to the left of her and on the ground. He snuggles up next to her right side and gently pushes her hair behind her ears.

He kisses her on the lips and whispers, "good morning sweetheart. Are you hungry?"

"Mmm…" she smiles in content. She steals a kiss on his lips. "I'm parched," she whispers.

"Look to your left," he informs her.

"I kind of like where I'm looking already," she mumbles sleepily as she stares into Chuck's eyes.

"Sorry, but this bad boy's gotta move some time," Chuck smiles from ear to ear as he sits back as Sarah fake pouts. "You think Casey will feel left out that I didn't make him breakfast in bed?"

"This is hardly in bed," Sarah laughs as she takes a sip of water.

"Just imagine you were sleeping in a bed and the food was on a tray and on your lap," Chuck tells her.

"You have one hell of an imagination," she jokes with a laugh.

"It gets me through the day," he jokes. "I'm going to get Casey some food. Better safe than sorry," he digs into his backpack to get some food and water for Casey before waking him up.

/

After they are all awake and fed, they walk the last five miles only to stop a mile early because there is a settlement where they need to go. Casey looks through Candy's sniper scope to survey the settlement. "Looks harmless," he muses to Chuck and Sarah. "Small village of four houses, a store, and what looks like a city hall of sorts. Seems quite lively at that one building."

"So we play good Samaritan while we're there," Sarah suggests.

"Or we go in guns out and ready to kill," Casey proposes with a joking smirk.

"I like Sarah's plan," Chuck raises his hand to make himself more noticed.

"Always the pacifist, Bartowski," Casey grumbles as they head to the town.

/

They walk into the town where there are houses on the right and a general store on the left followed by the city hall building. There is a line of people at the building at the end and a fence runs along the back of the town behind the building and seems to go on forever.

Casey and Sarah stay cautious as Chuck just looks around aimlessly taking in the sights. They look around as that one building at the end has people flowing in like an amusement park. "What the hell is so interesting?" Casey skeptically huffs out loud.

"It's the end of the world!" A kid shouts as he runs by them and towards the building.

"Did I just hear him right?" Chuck asks with confusion. "End of the world like 'the world is ending' end?"

"Probably some religious bullshit," Casey suggests in a grunt.

As they get closer, they see the sign at the top of the building and it reads: _'The End of the World.'_ They walk closer and stand at the end of the line.

"This is ridiculous," Chuck complains after waiting for less than a minute. "I can't just sit still like this."

"For once, I have to agree with Bartowski. Why don't we just shoot our way through," Casey barks.

"We're not killing thirty-something people," Sarah stresses. An eight-year old boy in line with his mother looks back in fear.

"Wha, what?" The boy stutters as fear shakes him visibly. Casey plasters on a fake, over-exaggerated smile.

"Don't worry," Casey comforts with a phony reassuring voice as he rubs the top of the boy's head vigorously, "nothing's going to happen. I was only kidding." Casey lets go of the boy's head and stares at Sarah with an angry and annoyed look. Sarah tries to hold in her smile and laughter but fails as she snorts. Even Chuck couldn't hold back the laughter.

/

After about an hour wait, they finally get to the front of the line. Casey's finger trigger is getting itchy and Chuck has started to get touchy-feely with Sarah.

"Next?" The employee behind the ticket desk calls.

"Finally," Casey grumbles.

"What was that sir?" The employee asks obliviously.

"Nothing," Sarah steps forward. "We want three tickets please," Sarah flashes a seductive smile. Chuck frowns at her after hearing her unnecessary suggestive voice and smile.

"Certainly," the employee smiles from ear to ear while under her spell. "That would be three hundred caps."

"Are you kidding me?" Casey growls. "That is a rip-off!"

"We only have one fifty," Sarah pouts with puppy dog eyes and her lower lip bulging out.

"I'm, I'm sorry," the employee says regretfully.

"Please," Sarah begs as she deepens her sad face.

"Alright," the employee hesitantly agrees.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you," Sarah smiles from ear to ear as she jumps up with joy. She hands over one hundred and fifty caps quickly. He tears off three tickets and hands them to her. "Thank you again," she smiles at the employee as they walk deeper into the building.

Another employee is standing at the door and holding it. He says, "Make sure to check out our gift shop after checking out: 'The end of the world!'" The employee says with an eerie voice. "They even have special 'end of the world' rocks that are said to have come from the pure end of life itself."

Casey looks at the guy like he is a total idiot as Chuck and Sarah just continue to walk through the open door while pushing Casey ahead of them before Casey can retort with a snide comment.

The room they were led into had lights up the ass. The walls are plastered with candelabras. The walls are painted a bright red and there is a glass door to the right that leads to the gift shop and a door in front of them that leads to the main attraction.

They walk up to the door in front of them and are led to a steel platform that leads five feet out and over the deep crater formed from the bomb radius with a group of tourists crowding the platform. It is impossible to see the bottom of the crater as it is so deep that darkness floods over it.

"Is this safe with all these people?" Chuck asks worriedly as he cautiously steps onto the platform.

"We should be fine," Sarah smiles at him reassuringly.

Looking out in the distance, there is just bluish sky with a very slight yellow tint that is the remnants of the radiation of the bomb that hit. There are absolutely no signs of seeing the other side of the crater or any diagonal direction.

"Welcome to the end of the world," an employee in a red and white striped shirt ecstatically says from the end of the platform. "My name is Jonathan and I will give you the 411 on the end of the world here."

"Sure," Casey mumbles out of their ignorance.

"What was that sir?" Jonathan asks, feigning obliviousness.

"It's not the end of the world idiot," Casey says louder. "That's what happened because we fucked with Russia." Sarah steps on Casey's foot inconspicuously to get him to shut up.

"I'm sorry sir, but that just isn't true. There is evidence that this is the exact point of the end of the world," Jonathan starts to get annoyed.

"That's why it is round?" Casey states the obvious as he looks at both sides and you can see the border of the crater slowly rounding concavely, but they cannot see the ends from any which way.

"I'm sorry but this is where the world split off from the other side hundreds of years ago," Jonathan says with a heavy tone of annoyance in his voice. "The separation wasn't a perfect line across, therefore causing the rounded appearance."

"No, dumbass," Casey growls, "That would be from the bomb that hit San Francisco that had a circular blast."

"Am I going to have to call security sir?" Jonathan asks as he sees Casey's temper rising.

"So they can do what?" Casey steps up and stands tall.

"Um, um…" Jonathan stutters in fear.

"We're going to go check out the gift shop," Chuck and Sarah lead Casey away from Jonathan and all the innocent tourists that may be killed in the firefight that was about to ensue. Sarah mouths 'sorry' to Jonathan as they lead Casey away from all the people and to the gift shop.

"Are you kidding me Casey?" Sarah starts to raise her voice at him. "You can't just keep your mouth shut for ten minutes?"

"That guy is a total moron," Casey argues. "Everyone here deserves to get their faces smashed in for this marketing scam they have going."

"I know it is injustice big guy, but we have a mission to do. Lets see if they have the palladium in the gift shop," Chuck leads them into the gift shop that has a few shoppers browsing 'end of the world' rocks. They walk up to the only item in the store, the rocks.

"Needs to be slivery and lightweight," Sarah says.

"Seems pretty light to me," Casey picks up and tosses the silver rock up leisurely and catches it.

"Please," Chuck snatches the rock from him smugly, "everything is light to you, Muscles." Casey grunts and gives him an angry glare. Chuck feels the really light silvery rock that looks like there might be a bit of white blended into the silver tone. The rock looks to be about five pounds but only weighs a couple. "I think this is it," Chuck finally decides.

Sarah takes it and feels the slickness of it and the lightness. "I think you're right. This is it," Sarah takes it over to the registrar to buy it.

/

They finally get out of the zoo that is the building and back into the town. They see how dead the city is without the 'end of the world' attraction. Sarah shaves as much of the palladium as she can into the special canister Stephen gave them.

"Can we get the hell out of this shithole already?" Casey grumbles. "I'm sick of waiting."

"I think we need to find something for you to kill," Chuck muses. "And I don't want that to be me. Sarah, it's been over a day since he's got killed. Can we leave before Casey goes on a killing spree?"

"That's a good idea," Sarah says as she closes the cap on the canister after filling it up to the top. "Here, take the rest of this," she hands the rest of the palladium to Chuck.

"Are you kidding?" Chuck steps back in disbelief. "I don't want that thing to light me on fire."

"It's not going to light you on fire," Sarah deadpans.

"I kind of like my body and I'd rather not risk it."

"Ugh," Casey grunts angrily as he snatches the rock. "I'll take it. Now lets go."

"What's got into you Casey? You seem very angry," Chuck asks as they head out of the city.

"It's nothing," Casey replies.

"Come on Casey. Talk to us," Sarah pressures. "You can trust us."

"I just hate bullshit and this place is full of it," Casey answers. "They have to be retarded to actually believe that crap. It is more ridiculous than religion."

"So it's not that time of the month then?" Chuck jokes.

"Do you want to be my first kill in days?" Casey asks Chuck.

"I was just kidding," Chuck shies away as he keeps a little distance from Casey.

"Chuck," Sarah warns, "stop provoking him or I'll let him shoot you."

"I will bow down to you if you let me shoot him," Casey pleads like a kid who is begging their mother to buy them a toy.

"It's kind of scary how serious he is when he talks about ending my life," Chuck muses as he holds Sarah in front of him by gripping her shoulders. "I'll be quiet now."

"Are we all good?" Sarah mediates.

"Yea, if he is," Chuck pipes quickly.

"Fine," Casey reluctantly grunts.

"Good," Sarah declares as they are now outside the city and on their way home.

/

They spent the rest of the day walking back and found a nice area to camp just off the edge of the deteriorated road. Chuck decided to take the first shift of watching over as Sarah and Casey slept peacefully.

Chuck sits there admiring Sarah's perfect form as a faint rustling noise interrupts him. He pulls out his gun and aims, but it is almost pitch black out and he can barely even see Sarah and Casey and they are only five feet from him.

Chuck looks around and doesn't see anything so he thinks it is just the wind blowing. He hears another rustling noise a few seconds later and quickly gets back in his shooting stance. He decides that he should look around a little before waiving it off.

He cautiously steps around the small camp as he aims his gun ahead of him. He narrows his eyes as he tries to look around, but doesn't see anything. He has the feeling that someone is watching him, but doesn't see anything.

He sits back down, but can't shake the feeling of being watched so he leaves his gun on his lap. After about a minute, he hears the swooshing of movement and dodges left; his gun drops to the ground. A long thin blade grazes the shoulder pad of his armor and sparks against the rock Chuck was just sitting at.

Chuck's eyes flutter as he feels a flash hit him. He gets up quickly to see a thin reflection of light gleaming on the sword as it heads for his head; looking like it is floating with such a faint shadow holding it. He ducks under it and punches the person attacking him. The person lurches backwards from the wind-knocking punch.

Chuck follows up the punch with a kick to the enemy's face. As his foot connects to the enemy's face, he sees the shimmer off the sword fall to the ground. "Sarah! Casey!" He shouts to get their attention as he grabs his gun that had fallen.

"Drop the gun," a male voice says as he sees a shadow holding a gun to Sarah's head and another shadow holding a gun to Casey's head.

"Shit," Chuck says with defeat. "What do you want?" He lowers his gun. Sarah and Casey watch the shadow of Chuck as his shoulders slump and another shadow getting up from the ground.

"We want all your food and water," the male voice answers as the shadow getting off the ground steps behind Chuck and hits him in the back of the head with the butt of the blade. Sarah feels a pain in her chest as she sees Chuck fall to the ground unconsciously. Casey just growls in anger. "Tie them up," the male voice says.

The three enemies tie Sarah, Casey, and Chuck together back to back to back with rope around their stomachs. Chuck is on Sarah's right side and Casey is on her left. The enemies also make a fire so it is now illuminated and Casey and Sarah can see their captors' faces. Sarah and Casey look at their captors with hate in their eyes as Chuck slumps unconsciously.

"What should we do with them?" One of the enemies asks.

"What do you think?" The man that spoke earlier asks like it is obvious. "We eat them."

"Then why don't we just kill them now?"

"It's more amusing to watch them burn alive," the man chuckles evilly.

"I don't know boss," the third man who is kneeled by Chuck, Casey, and Sarah. "I kind of like this one. She is pretty," he moves some hair from her face as Sarah tries to move her head away from the creep's hand. Sarah stares death into his eyes and the guy actually gets spooked a little.

"Get over here idiot," the 'boss' orders. "You fucking pervert. We need food more than a good fuck."

Chuck slowly wakes up to have his arms almost immobilized unless he has a scratch on his ass. "Wha…" He groggily says.

"Chuck," Sarah says in a hush tone. "Calm down. We're tied up."

"Shit!" Chuck remembers everything. "I took out one of them but they had a gun to your head. I couldn't risk losing either of you."

"I know," Sarah says in the same hush tone. "Chuck, can you reach my throwing knives?"

"I'll try," he replies as he starts wiggling his left arm to the best of his ability.

"That's my ass," Sarah whispers matter-of-factly as Chuck's hand snakes past her ass and along her leg.

"Sorry," Chuck mumbles quietly as he continues to wriggle his body around, sliding his arm farther down her leg.

"Go ahead and burn us, you fuckin' pussies," Casey spits out loudly with venom in his voice.

"Shut him up," the boss says. Chuck quickly stops wriggling so they don't suspect anything. One of the men walks up to him and hits him across the face with Casey's customized M4. Casey turns his head as the butt end cuts his left cheek open.

"I wouldn't have done that if I were you," Chuck says pragmatically. "He hasn't killed in a few days and you guys are looking like prime targets right now."

"You want to be hit too?" The man threatens.

"Pussy," Casey mumbles as he spits out some blood that formed from the slight cut on the inside of his cheek. The man joins his counterparts and Chuck continues to reach for Sarah's throwing knives.

Chuck continues to fidget until he finally gets his hand on one of her knives. "Got it," he whispers as he slides it out of the sheath and pulls his arm back.

"Cut me free," Sarah says.

"I love you and all but," Chuck says as he delicately hands it over to Casey from behind their backs. Casey grabs the knife and grunts in satisfaction as he starts cutting away his binds. "Unleash the Casey," Chuck whispers as Casey cuts out of the ropes.

Casey gets up and charges the three enemies that were deep in their discussion and not realizing Casey escaped. "Oh shit," one of the enemies shouts as he sees Casey standing over him. Casey growls as he grabs the man by the neck in his right hand and lifts him.

The man struggles to breathe in Casey's grasp as Casey holds him high. Casey throws the enemy into the one with the sword who has the blade pointing towards Casey; the sword penetrating the enemy's back. Casey sees the blade protruding from the enemy's chest as he attacks the other one without a sword, the boss.

Casey was nice enough to leave the throwing knife in Sarah's hand as she cuts away at her binds and then slices Chuck out of his.

Casey punches the boss in the stomach, throwing all his pent up rage into it. The man is lifted in the air and sent to his hands and knees. The enemy with the sword slides it out of his counterpart sorrowfully but quickly.

The enemy with the sword slices down from over his head, but Casey dodges it to the right. The enemy tries a stab towards Casey's left chest, but Casey evades once again. A slice towards Casey's head is avoided by a duck and then an underhand slice to Casey's legs is refuted by Casey jumping onto the blade as it reaches under his feet.

Casey smirks evilly as he punches the enemy in the face. The punch knocks the enemy back and Casey follows it up with an uppercut to the enemy's chin. The enemy flies back and lands in the fire. He screams in pain and horror as he rolls on his back to try to extinguish the fire.

"I'm burning up out here," Casey quips as the enemy's screams slow to a silence as his skin sizzles and crackles.

The boss, who was pummeled in the stomach, is starting to get to his feet. Sarah puts an end to that with a well-thrown throwing knife into the boss' forehead. The boss drops back to the ground as blood drains from his forehead and to the ground.

"See?" Chuck says like that is what he was talking about. "I want to be able to do that!" He points to the knife in the enemy's head.

"Well, now you have the perfect thing to train on," Casey says.

"Casey, dude, you're bleeding," Chuck says with slight concern.

"It's just a flesh wound," Casey says nonchalantly.

"Let me check it out," Sarah says as she walks closer to Casey.

"I'm fine," Casey insists.

"Casey, you're bleeding pretty badly. Just hold still," Sarah says as she looks at the wound closer, using the fire as light. "Chuck, practice throwing the knife while I check Casey."

"Alright," Chuck looks and sees the only knife inside the man's forehead. Chuck cringes as je slowly pulls the knife out. It makes a slithering sound as it comes out all the way. "Ew, ew, ew," Chuck cleans the blade off on the enemy's shirt.

Chuck practices throwing the knife at the body, hitting it with a thud in an inaccurate spread while Sarah attends to Casey's cut. She uses the medical supplies they brought with them as Sarah tapes a bandage over it. "This will hold for now, but I think you need stitches."

"Damn," Casey grunts. "Hurt with my own gun. I wish you let me kill that last guy. He was mine."

"You can't take all the fun," Sarah smiles at him.

"At least I got to watch that man burn," Casey chuckles.

"Oh my god," Chuck stops suddenly. "Casey just laughed. You just laughed."

Casey grunts skeptically.

"All it took was to burn someone alive and you laughed!"

"That or the thought of killing you Chuck," Sarah quips as she goes up to Chuck. His happy expression falters at the thought of Casey attacking him. Definitely not his favorite day. "How's your head?" She asks as she examines the back of Chuck's head.

"I'm fine. I think my ego is bruised more than my head," Chuck jokes.

"That's good," she hugs him tightly. "I'm glad you're okay."

"I'm glad you're okay too," he kisses her on the forehead.

"Enough with the lovey dovey crap," Casey grunts. "I'm wide awake and I have a fancy new weapon to play with," Casey cleans off the sword. "Let's keep going."

"Fine with me," Chuck shrugs as he looks at Sarah. She gives him a smile and he plants a kiss on her lips.

They gather their stuff and start to head out in the blackness of night, using Chuck's pip-boy as a compass.

"Hey Chuck?" Sarah asks.

"Yea?"

"Why does everyone want to rape me?" She asks with pure curiosity. She has always been conservative with how she looks and never boasts.

"What?" Chuck flinches from the random question he didn't expect at all.

"I swear that everyone we run into makes some kind of perverted play for me."

"It's because you're the most beautiful thing in the world," Chuck holds her close to him with an arm around her waist. She forms to him with her arm around his back. "Don't worry though. I'll protect you from them."

"Thank you Chuck. I love you," she lays her head on his shoulder.

"I love you too," he kisses her forehead.

"I think I'm going to wear a mask for now on though."

"Aww," Chuck says in disappointment. "I love seeing your gorgeous face and giving it kisses," he steals a kiss on her lips.

"I'm only going to wear it on missions though," she smiles from the kiss. "Maybe people won't be so perverted when they see me."

"I don't know," Chuck smiles brightly, "your body is pretty sexy."

"Is it?" She asks innocently while feigning ignorance.

"Mmm…" he squeezes her ass and she yelps. "It's the sexiest thing on the planet."

"Your body isn't so bad," she rubs his chest suggestively.

"Be careful there," he warns playfully. "You don't what kind of monster we're going to run into next."

"I have an idea," Sarah seductively says as her hand slowly glides towards his waist.

"Enough with the sexual innuendos," Casey barks. "I'm gonna chuck up on you, Chuck."

Sarah and Chuck laugh as they continue walking through the darkness.

**/**

**I cannot believe I actually finished this chapter on time. I have been experiencing some major writer's block along with the multiple assignments that teachers decide to assign. It's only a 400 level class and four assignments is a crap-load when you have five other classes to deal with. Enough with the drabble for now.**

**Has anyone noticed that writing has caused them to talk more intellectually? Also, for some odd reason, when I think of something in my head, I describe the details as if I was writing it. It has only happened to me since writing all this fanfic as I haven't really written anything else in my life.**

**Reviews are totally necessary and no review is incessant. I welcome any criticism, praise, anything that makes the number go up. Seriously, I crave reviews and they make writing this story more fun to me.**


	16. Chuck Versus the Original Duo

**I am never going to update on a Thursday again. It is as scarce as an apocalyptic wasteland. It is more dead than disco music. I mean like, what happened? Did I write something wrong? If you dislike something in my story, feel free to inform me in a review.**

**I'm not sure if you guys deserve this chapter but I'm giving it to you anyways because I am so nice. In a way, it can be a warm-up to the next Chuck episode.**

**I do not own Chuck or Fallout.**

**/**

The sun is now at the peak of its rotation as it blares down on the sleep-deprived team. They know they should get some sleep but still have the will to continue.

"You know that wasn't my fault that we were captured, right?" Chuck asks for reassurance; the lack of sleep causing him to drag his feet. He feels he did everything he could to stop the assailants.

"Yea, we know Chuck," Sarah comforts him while yawning. "It was three against one and they had guns."

"Yea, to your heads," Chuck stresses with seriousness. "I don't know what I would do if I lost you," he looks into Sarah's eyes with pure love and truth. Even with the deprivation of rest, she is glimmering beautifully. "You too Casey," Chuck looks over to him, the rings under his eyes dark and prominent, and Casey grunts back.

"Chuck," Sarah plants a kiss on his cheek, "you did as well as Casey or I could."

"Speak for yourself Walker," Casey drones.

"Anyways," Sarah pressures with a skeptical glance at Casey, "it wasn't your fault Chuck. You did what you could."

"Thanks," he smiles at her; all the sleep-deprived wrinkles emerging in his face. Sarah looks at him a bit apologetically.

"You must be dead tired," she states.

"I could sleep," he quips nonchalantly.

"Casey," she soaks in the look of unrest on Casey's face, "we should rest. We're all pretty tired."

"Sure, why not," Casey indecisively answers.

Chuck giggles randomly, gaining him the confused looks of Casey and Sarah. He giggles again.

"What the hell is so damn funny Bartowski?" Casey leers.

"I, I don't know," Chuck answers through fits of laughter.

"He's delirious," Sarah deadpans.

/

After only a few minutes, they found a nice indented indentation along a giant rock that is out of the sight for anyone who may walk along the road. Casey sits down and lays his back against the rock while hugging his M4 to his chest as Sarah rests in Chuck's arms and uses her duster jacket as a pillow.

"I'm kind of jealous," Chuck jokes as he holds in his laughter. Sarah looks up at him with sleepy eyes from her spot on his upper chest. "Casey gets to cuddle with that sexy gun and all I get is you," the laughter fumbles out the instance he finishes the joke.

"Shut up," she hits him in the stomach playfully before burrowing herself deeper into his embrace. "Go to sleep," she mumbles almost inaudibly from the slumber that is conquering her.

/

Casey wakes up at the lasting moments of sunset; the sky painted with greenish-red and dark blue. He gets up and stretches; noticing Sarah and Chuck are still asleep in each other's arms. He decides to let them rest as he drains his bladder and fills up on some food.

After about thirty minutes, he loses patience. "Bartowski! Walker!" He calls them and they both wake up groggily. "We need to get going."

"Sure," Chuck groans as he kisses Sarah on the forehead and gets up.

"Give us a few minutes," Sarah says as she straightens out her clothes and stretches.

/

The night goes by quickly as they venture into New Angeles as the sun starts rising above the mountains. They go straight to the lab to give the Bartowskis' the palladium. They step through the door and Chuck sighs heavily in relief.

"You okay Chuck?" Sarah asks as she goes to inspect him for bodily injuries because of the heavy sigh while Casey puts the palladium rock on the table.

"I'm fine," he insists sincerely. "I just half expected the walls to be painted with blood and everyone dead."

"That should be expected," Casey comments nonchalantly, but Sarah is having none of it.

"Chuck," she comforts him, "they are just sleeping right now. Everyone's fine."

"I know," he shrugs without an ounce of worry. "I just had a weird feeling and it's nice to know that the feeling was wrong."

"I'm gonna get some shut-eye. Get back on my usual sleeping schedule," Casey informs them.

"Goodnight Casey," Sarah says.

"You mean good morning," Chuck quips.

"Whatever," Casey says indifferently. "I suggest you guys do the same." Casey walks out and leaves Chuck and Sarah alone to wait.

"Casey's right," Sarah says as she places the canister of palladium by the G.E.C.K while Chuck sits down on a couch chair. "We should probably fix our internal clocks."

"I'm pretty comfy right here. I can fall asleep in seconds," he smiles at her from the couch chair he procured in the lab. Sarah smiles at him deviously. He furrows his brow, not sure what she is about to do.

She climbs on top of him and lies across his lap; dangling her feet off the edge. She hugs his chest and nestles her head in the nape of his shoulder and neck. "You're right," she smiles into him. "This is comfortable."

Chuck laughs heartily and Sarah feels every little vibration before they dose off.

/

Two hours later, Ellie walks out of her bedroom to see Chuck and Sarah sleeping on the couch. She can barely contain the "auhh…" of adorableness in as she smiles brightly at the sight. She is so happy to see her brother in such content and love. Devon stumbles out yawning. "Look at them," she whispers to him.

"Huh?" Devon asks as he comes out of the yawn.

"They're so cute together," she admires them with love. She worries about her brother immensely but cannot deny him the satisfaction of being with Sarah.

"Uh yea. Sure babe," Devon says slightly lethargically. "They obviously made it back safely."

"That they did," Stephen says as he inspects the palladium rocks on the table.

"Whoa," Devon jumps back slightly; not seeing Stephen at all.

"Yea, he does that sometimes," Ellie informs Devon. "Don't they look so cute together?"

"I don't know what this 'cute' word is," Stephen jokes. "Right Devon?" Stephen starts to laugh.

"Right. Cute? I've never heard of it," Devon chuckles.

"A-holes," Ellie playfully hits Devon in the stomach.

"You want me to wake him up and tell him the news?" Stephen asks for Ellie's opinion.

"I think we should wait. We don't know how little sleep they may have gotten. The news would just make him worried and nervous again," Ellie responds cordially.

"You always knew him better than I did," Stephen smiles at the bond his children formed.

"But you guys always clicked on the computer stuff," Ellie smiles back.

"Once a nerd, always a nerd," Stephen chuckles as he turns to check on the G.E.C.K.

/

A loud click rings through the lab when Stephen presses in a component of the G.E.C.K. two hours later. The clicking noise rouses Sarah from her slumber. She blinks her heavy eyelids as she turns to look over at the lab to see Stephen, Mary, and Arcade working.

She groans as she slides off of Chuck. She yawns and stretches; gaining the attention of everyone. "Sorry Sarah," Mary smiles at her. "We didn't mean to wake you."

"No problem," Sarah says at the end of her yawn. "You guys get the palladium?"

"Yea," Stephen says as he goes back to working.

"Thanks. The G.E.C.K. is nearly operational," Mary informs Sarah.

"That's great news," Sarah smiles at Mary.

"There is also other news that is partial to Chuck."

"Should I wake him up?"

"No, let him sleep. He's going to need it."

"Is this something pertinent that I should know?"

"No, no. It has something to do with the vault."

"Oh, alright," Sarah shrugs her shoulders. "I'm gonna check in with my bosses. Is there anything you need?"

"No, we're good. Thanks anyways," Stephen says before Sarah plants a light kiss on Chuck's cheek and leaves them.

/

Sarah steps into Graham's office and standing at attention; he is waiting patiently in his seat. "Sir," Sarah greets.

"At ease Sarah," Graham responds in a friendly manner. Sarah relaxes her body. "How's the G.E.C.K. coming along?"

"Quite well sir," she smiles at him subtly. "The Bartowskis' told me that it is almost finished and ready for use."

"That's good news. I'm glad everything is working out so far. How's your relationship with their son?" Graham smiles a little at the genuine smile that forms on Sarah's face because of the mention.

"Things are great. He is very nice to me and cares immensely about me. His father even… uploaded fighting moves to him. He—"

"What?" Graham flinches back in confusion. "Uploaded?"

"His dad created a program that let Chuck download fighting maneuvers and tactics that he can recall at any time," Sarah explains the Intersect to the best of her abilities.

"So he is now trained in hand to hand combat?"

"Exactly. The Intersect, Stephen calls it, has given Chuck the ability to fight using judo, muay Thai, karate, taekwondo, jiu-jitsu, kendo, boxing, and fencing."

"How did he download it?"

"Just had to watch a series of images and voila, he was a skillful fighter."

"Is this something we can use to train our soldiers?" Graham leans forward with hope.

"I asked that but Stephen told me that it was unstable and could cause brain conditions to the users."

"Then how is Bartowski able to use it safely?"

"Well," Sarah stifles a laugh as she thinks back at what Chuck downloaded the first time, "he had already downloaded it accidentally when he was younger. He was able to retain all the knowledge without any difficulties."

"I see," Graham scratches the back of his head. "Maybe it's something we can look into later. Is there anything else?"

"No…" Sarah is about to turn to leave but remembers something that Chuck wanted to know. "Wait! I did have a question."

"Yes?"

"I would like to know the details of the Captain and his reinforcement team that we have been utilizing." Sarah knows that it will make Chuck happy to get the information on them.

"What is the reasoning for this?"

"I just want to cover the bases, sir."

"Fine. I will gather the files and have them shortly. All I know off the top of my head is the Captain's name is Daniel Shaw. He is young and optimistic. His skills are still raw, but he is learning."

"Thank you sir," Sarah bows curtly before exiting.

/

Sarah returns back to the Lab to find Chuck pacing back and forth fervently. Mary and Ellie are trying to calm him, but he is unrelenting. Sarah walks into the door and smiles at him.

"Sarah," Ellie says with a heavy strain of relief, "you have to help out. Chuck is freaking out."

"Sarah, I'm freaking out," Chuck tells her with slight worry.

"What's the problem?" She asks everyone.

"The vault," Ellie explains. "My dad picked up a transmission that they need help yesterday."

"I need to go back to the vault," Chuck declares unsurely.

"What happened in the vault?" Sarah questions.

"Here," Chuck types furiously on his pip-boy, "listen." A radio transmission from his pip-boy starts.

"_This is the Overseer of Vault Six. The sanctity of the vault has become tainted. The residents have become segregated and are assaulting each other. The vault has also been inhabited by creatures from outside the vault. If there is anyone out there, please help us. We are not going to last much longer without any help."_

"I have to go back," Chuck insists quickly. "I have to make sure everyone is alright; Jill, Bryce, everyone!" Sarah's first thought was who Jill was before thinking clearer.

"But what about the G.E.C.K.?" Sarah inquires about her mission.

"Screw the G.E.C.K.!" Chuck barks at her. She has never seen Chuck like this. "Those are people there that need our help; let alone one of my best friends!"

"The G.E.C.K. will save thousands of people's best friends," Sarah argues. "It will allow us to create medicines and ails for sick people."

"They're my friends," Chuck reasons worriedly as his voice starts to rise. "I can't just sit around and not do anything when I know for a fact that I could do something!"

"Chuck," Sarah demands his attention, "the G.E.C.K. is more important than a few people."

"No!" Chuck shouts back. Sarah is startled by it as it is the first time she has heard him yell at her. "It's more important to you! To Graham! All you care about is your mission!" He screams at Sarah before dropping his voice to a sardonic laughter, "I can see where your priorities lie. I'm going to save my friends." Chuck storms out of the lab, leaving Sarah appalled and hurt.

Ellie and Mary are just as paralyzed with shock as Sarah. Stephen walks out of his office with Arcade in tow. "I figured out the last piece of the puzzle!" He exclaims happily. All three women turn to look at him with the same shock on their faces as before. "What?" Stephen questions at the looks on their faces. "Where's Charles?"

"He, he just walked out," Ellie barely whispers as the shock slowly subsides.

"To go where?"

"He said he was going to the vault," Mary informs Stephen.

"Oh," Stephen rubs his face with his hand. "Is he going alone?"

"I don't know," Mary turns to face Sarah, who is still frozen with pain from Chuck's outburst. "Sarah, are you going to go with him?" Sarah turns to look at Mary after a slight delay as a lone tear slips out of her glassy eyes.

"I, I have my mission," she shakily responds.

"Sarah," Ellie walks up to Sarah, "you need to find Chuck. Tell him how you feel. He just cares about them a lot. You can't let that be the end of your relationship."

"You're right," Sarah nods her head slowly. "I need to find him," the determination comes back to her voice. She turns and heads out of the door quickly to chase down Chuck.

/

Chuck is walking through the vacant and ruined street, steaming off from his tirade earlier. He feels a bit of remorse for yelling at Sarah. He has never yelled at anyone before and especially not someone he loves. "Does she even love me or was she just with me for the advantage of the mission?" Chuck asks himself. "Was she even a virgin before me? She certainly could have gotten anyone in the world with her looks. Maybe she has been playing me the whole time." Chuck rubs his face vigorously with both hands. "It's for the mission. It's the mission. We have to do the mission. Mission, mission, mission!" Chuck mocks while snarling.

Chuck kicks a rock in front of him lethargically as he feels the tears emerging from his boggy eyes. He tries to push back thoughts of possible betrayal as he has his own mission to accomplish: Save Jill and everyone in the vault. He draws in a deep breath and quickens his walk with a purpose in his stride.

/

Sarah rushes outside and gets to the desolate and wrecked street; the majority of the buildings in crumbled ruins. She looks both ways and doesn't see Chuck at all. She has no idea where he went so she heads west as that is the general direction of the vault. She runs down the street, but still no sign of Chuck. She runs as fast as she could down the street; looking for him as tears start to well up in her eyes.

She finally slows to a stop after half a mile. She didn't see Chuck and her head is filled with thoughts of him being gone forever. She doesn't even try to hold back the tears as they flow down her eyes. "What have I done?"

She walks home while crying her eyes out; avoiding any of Chuck's family because the pain would be too unbearable.

/

Chuck knows he has a long road ahead of him as he gets a mile out from New Angeles. His thoughts keep retracting back to Sarah. The pain is unbearable when he thinks of her and needs something to distract him; someone. He needs help from a certain bearded fellow who just happens to be on the way to the vault.

/

Chuck walks into the mall complex and sees the Buymore's big green sign gleaming like a beacon of hope. He walks in to the same routine of guns to his face.

"Hey guys," Chuck half smiles. "Do you remember me?"

"Chuck!" Morgan comes out of nowhere and jumps onto Chuck like a koala bear. "I've missed you!" The Buymorians lower their weapons.

"I've missed you too buddy," Chuck cannot hide the sadness in his voice of losing Sarah although he is happy to see Morgan again. Morgan climbs off of Chuck with an expectant look.

"Dude, what's wrong? Where's Sarah?"

"I don't know. We had a fight."

"Uh, jeez," Morgan rubs his hand down his face and through his beard; now thick and burly. "Tell me about it. Maybe I can help."

"We can talk about it on the way. You up for a mission?"

"I'm always up for a good mish," Morgan smiles brightly. "Is it alright to call it a mish?"

"I don't see why not," Chuck cracks a smile for the first time since before his outburst.

"What's it about?"

"We need to go back to the vault. We need to save them."

"What? What happened?"

"I don't know exactly. It is like a civil war in there. We need to hurry."

"Alright. Let me tell Anna real quick," Morgan marches off to give Anna a goodbye kiss.

/

Chuck and Morgan head out. The Buymorians were nice enough to give them each an MP5 submachine gun, a backup pistol, and some food and water.

"So spill everything to me," Morgan demands.

"I don't really want to talk about it," Chuck pleads. "You and Anna seem to be doing great."

"She is fantastic!" Morgan exclaims. "She's smart, funny, sexy, sassy—don't change the subject. What happened with you and Sarah? You guys are so perfect together."

"It was stupid. I'm an idiot. It was my fault," Chuck looks down at the ground. "I yelled at her for no reason really. I told her that I was going to the vault to save Jill and Bryce and everyone and she refused to help. She wanted to do her mission."

"Really?" Morgan says in acknowledgement.

"I just stormed out on her. I didn't give her a chance to explain. I may have just ruined my relationship with her."

"Why didn't you go back and talk it out or something?"

"I don't know. I'm an idiot. That's why. It's probably too late now. She's probably getting herself reassigned to some other mission and I'll never see her again," Chuck feels the tears coming back.

"No," Morgan dismisses Chuck's pessimism quickly. "She wouldn't do that. Sarah is cool. She'll understand and try to work it out with you. Don't say things like that. Sarah is awesome. She's not gonna leave. Trust me."

"Thanks buddy. It is nice to be able to talk with you again," Chuck smiles at Morgan.

"Yea, you too," Morgan smiles back.

/

Sarah lies on her bed with a photo of her and Chuck together pressed to her chest. She cannot stop the fits of tears. She has never been hurt so badly in her life. She's angry and sad. "I would've gone with you Chuck. I would've helped you save your friends," she cries out between sobs.

She reaches over to the other side of the bed only to feel cold bed sheets. She wishes so much to just have Chuck back and to hold her in his arms. She misses him immensely and it hasn't even been a day yet. She cries until her body finally can't take anymore and shuts down to let her get some sleep.

/

Chuck and Morgan wanted to get to the vault as quick as possible so they walked briskly and kept the pace up so they could make better time. Morgan has been helping Chuck from wallowing too much by reassuring him that Sarah is going to take him back.

They decide to camp out behind some rocks where they are well hidden in most directions. Chuck's mind is in disarray because of the earlier events and his subconscious doesn't give him a chance to recover as he dreams of Sarah.

"_The G.E.C.K. is finally done," Stephen says as he hands the briefcase that holds the device to Sarah._

"_Thank you so much for creating this," Sarah shakes his hand and then turns around to leave._

"_Sarah, wait," Chuck says hurriedly. She turns around and smiles at him._

"_I'm just giving the G.E.C.K. to Director Graham," her smile is infatuating to Chuck as he smiles at her._

"_I'll see in an hour then, right?"_

"_No Chuck," she informs him without any sign of sorrow or guilt, "the mission is done. I'm going to get a new mission and work on that. I don't have time to be in a relationship with you and do my job."_

"_What?" Chuck's eyes widen with sadness. "Sarah, I, I love you. I thought you loved me?"_

"_I did what I had to for the mission," she turns to leave again._

"_So you used me," he drops his head in shame. "You used me just for this damn mission."_

"_I wouldn't call it that. More taking advantage of the situation. Goodbye forever Chuck and good luck," she walks out leaving Chuck standing there with a broken heart and pain in his chest._

Chuck wakes up with a start. "Just a dream," he mutters to himself as he rubs his face with both hands. "She does love me. I know it." He turns to see Morgan sleeping and lies back down. He calms himself and tries to go back to sleep knowing that it was just a dream and not real. That she loves him and would never break his heart.

/

Sarah wakes up and reaches over to the empty side of the bed; hoping to feel Chuck but all she feels is cold, lonely air. She frowns and her lip quivers slightly before she pushes back the sad thoughts from taking over her again.

She walks into the laboratory after preparing herself for the painful questions she is about to receive. As she walks in, everyone's gaze falls upon her. They notice that Chuck isn't with her and suspect the worst. Ellie walks up to her.

"Did you find him?" Ellie asks calmly. Sarah just shakes her head solemnly. "I'm so sorry," Ellie gathers her into a hug. "He's going to be back. I promise you that and if he doesn't come to reason quickly, I'll kick his ass until he does."

"Thank you Ellie," Sarah lets out a faint smile that she didn't expect to ever do ever again in her life unless Chuck came back. "I'm alright. I just hope he doesn't go and get himself killed. This is the first time I'm not there to protect him. It scares me."

"He'll be fine. He's smart, well he's pretty dumb for yesterday," Ellie laughs; hoping to brighten Sarah's spirits. "But he's smart and he has that Intersect thingy in his head to protect him. You can't always be there to protect him."

"I know that but I just didn't want to believe it," Sarah laughs solemnly.

"I promise that he'll be back," Mary says as she puts a motherly hand on Sarah's shoulder. Sarah knows they are empty promises as they cannot influence what happens to Chuck but it is nice to hear.

"Thank you guys," Sarah smiles at them. "You're really helping a lot. I think I'm alright now." They both smile back at Sarah.

"If you need anything, just let us know," Ellie informs Sarah sincerely.

"Actually, I was wondering if Stephen needed any help."

/

Chuck and Morgan continue on their long trek to the vault. At their pace, they can get there at sundown. Morgan has been filling the time with ridiculous stories of the Buymorians. Chuck is really enjoying them because it keeps his mind off Sarah and his idiocy for leaving Sarah like that.

"They didn't!" Chuck states in ridiculousness.

"Yea, they got it all on camera too!" Morgan exclaims.

"Jeff and Lester are insane," Chuck laughs.

"Yea and very, very creepy; especially Jeff. He even created a montage of Anna."

"What?"

"He made a video that consists of only Anna. He is totally a stalker. Some of the angles are just creepy," Morgan shivers. "Most of the shots are at a distance and hidden between stuff. It was so weird watching it."

"I don't think Anna, your girlfriend," Chuck puts emphasis on the last two words, "likes having this video of her."

"I know. I stole it from Jeff one day when he passed out on the couch in the home theater room," Morgan snickers.

"Nice buddy."

/

"Sarah," Stephen explains, "The G.E.C.K. is nearly done. There is only one part left."

"What is this part?" Sarah asks as she looks over the G.E.C.K.

"I need to find a way to connect the fusion power to the rest of the parts; like some wires."

"Where can we find them?"

"Well we need some wires that can connect the generator to the numerous parts. I was actually thinking that the NCR would have some kind of technological dump site."

"That we do," Sarah says with a slight laugh. "We can go there now and dig in but I'm going to warn you, it is a mess in there."

"That's no problem," Stephen chuckles as he lets her lead the way.

/

Chuck and Morgan are only a mile out from the vault. They decide it would be good to be nourished before they go in. Chuck pulls out two boxes of Fancy Lads snack cakes and hands one to Morgan.

"Thanks," Morgan opens the box quickly to start munching.

"No problem," Chuck takes his time with his box. "You know, when we get back, I'm gonna tell Sarah how stupid I was and apologize for everything; if she takes me back."

"She's," Morgan swallows his food, "she's definitely going to take you back. She can't resist the Bartowski charm. When we get back, I expect to see the steamiest, most passionate kiss in the world."

"Sure buddy," Chuck laughs. "I'm hoping to be a part of that kiss with Sarah on the other side."

"That's the spirit," Morgan chants while his mouth is full of food.

/

"So, what exactly are we supposed to be looking for now?" Sarah asks as she digs into a pile of cords, cables, and wires in a room that is filled with boxes and drawers of electronic scraps.

"We need a specific blue wire that has a gold and a silver prong on the end," Stephen explains.

"How's this?" Sarah holds up a blue wire. Stephen inspects it for two seconds.

"That's bronze and silver," he informs her.

"Dammit! They all look the same," Sarah tosses the wire out of the way.

"Have patience; we'll find it."

/

Chuck and Morgan arrive at the vault and go inside the cave and to the door. Chuck takes a deep breath, "you ready buddy?"

"Ready when you are," Morgan tightens his grip on his MP5.

"Lets do this," Chuck presses the button on the control panel and the vault door shifts. Dust and dirt falls from the crevices as the door shrills loudly and slides into the vault. After the door retracts, it spins to the left and Chuck and Morgan step in.

"Brings back memories," Morgan quips.

"Everything in there is going to bring back memories," Chuck informs him.

"I know," Morgan smiles as they venture into the vault.

/

"I found it!" Stephen exclaims.

"Finally," Sarah climbs out of a jumble of wires.

"This is the last piece."

"Great," Sarah pulls some wires out of her hair and brushes some more off her shoulder.

"I think I can get the G.E.C.K. working by tomorrow."

"That's great news," Sarah exclaims. Doing all this work has kept her mind off of the pain that comes with her heartbreaking loss of Chuck.

/

Chuck and Morgan march through the cavernous hallway of the vault basement; killing any radroaches that are there. They continue down the hallway to a stairwell. They follow the stairs up and then loop around up another flight of stairs. They get to a door that leads to the actual vault quarters.

"Ready?" Chuck asks.

"Yea," Morgan replies.

"Here we go," Chuck says as he opens the door and they head in.

/

Sarah and Stephen get back to the lab and have dinner that Ellie prepared. She works wonders in the kitchen that no one could figure out how. Sarah feels like she has a magical touch that turns any food into a delicious appetizing meal. After dinner, Sarah decides to look over the files of the reinforcement team and its Captain from the files she acquired while at the NCR base with Stephen.

Sarah opens up the folder and reviews the first file; the Captain's. The picture shows a dark haired man with a subtle smug smirk on his face. She reads the information.

_**Shaw, Daniel**_

_21 Years Old_

_6' 3"_

_196 lbs_

_2 years of Service_

_No known family members or intimate partners_

_No knowledge of his past_

_Prior knowledge of fighting tactics and precision with firearms_

_Potential to become Agent_

_Daniel has the potential to become a great agent for the NCR. He is young and already knows how to fight and fire weapons, although I am not sure where this knowledge came from. Could have possible ties to another organization or parents that were part of another organization. He is cocky and resistant when being mentored. He is very smart and has the ability to create new tactics on the fly. He can become the best male agent that the NCR has ever had if he listens and carries out his orders more loyally._

_Signed by General Ralph J. Romsworth._

Sarah sees the scratchy signature of the General and glances at the numerous papers that hold the record of his assignments and missions. She hesitates on delving in but has nothing else to do and it keeps her mind from reeling back to Chuck.

**/**

**I'm not sure you guys deserve this chapter. After the measly amount of readers and reviews of my last chapter and the fact that everyone is going to hate me for breaking Chuck and Sarah up (which might mean more reviews of flames **** but also the loss of possible readers ****). I will promise that their break up is not going to last too long. It was hard enough for me to write it, so expect a reunion that hopefully will rival the one we are going to get on Monday.**

**Again, I'm going to beg for reviews as it has become my chapterly plea. Reviews only take seconds and it really helps me out. If you have any ideas or any criticism, please feel free to let me know in a review or a message.**


	17. Chuck Versus the Trouble on da Homefront

**Fresh off the presses! Monday's episode was F***ing amazing! I cannot believe the ratings were season lows when that could have been the season finale. Chuck is literally the best show no one watches. I really hope that the low rating isn't a trend and just a fluke. Enough about my angry rant that those fuckin' Nielsen assholes don't know what a good TV show is. Let me be one of the Nielsen people then. I watch enough TV for it to be worth it.**

**I hope everyone is enjoying this story. There will be NO Shaw/Sarah relationship. I promise that.**

**Thank you for your reviews. They have been my only real motivation to continue this story and I haven't thanked you all enough for them.**

**I do not own Chuck or Fallout.**

**/**

"Freeze!" One of two vault security guards shouts as Morgan and Chuck walk into the vault common area. Both of them are wearing vault jumpsuits with armored vests and riot masks. Chuck aims his MP5 at the guards and Morgan throws his hands up. "Drop the gun," the guard slowly reaches for his holstered pistol.

From what Chuck and Morgan can see, the vault is not as bright with many lights broken or knocked out and the floor is littered with paper and trash.

"I don't want to hurt you," Chuck informs them. "Do you remember us? We used to live in this vault."

Both guards narrow their eyes through the clear shields of their masks. "The Bartowski son?" The other guard states questionably.

"Yes, that's me," Chuck says happily.

"It's your fault we're in this mess!" The first guard shouts angrily. "If you didn't leave the vault, we would all be safe and happy!" The guard reaches for his holstered pistol.

"Please," Chuck shouts at the guard; stopping his play for his gun, "I don't want to hurt anyone. I want to resolve what is happening." Morgan, by this time, has gripped his MP5 and aimed it at the two guards.

"What are you proposing?" The guard asks cautiously.

"I want to stop the fighting and help everyone survive."

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"You don't but I give you my word. I care about the people in here."

"Fine," the guard scrunches his face in hesitation.

"Good," Chuck breathes out heavily. "I need to know what is going on exactly."

"Well," the second guard starts, "after you guys left, the vault went to shit."

"Are my parents alright?" Morgan asks worriedly. "Please tell me they are fine."

"Who are your parents?" The second guard asks.

"The Grimes," Morgan answers quickly.

"I believe your father was recently attacked, but is recovering fine in the infirmary."

"Oh no," Morgan throws his hands to his mouth.

"Your mother is fine I believe."

"We'll make sure they are alright buddy," Chuck pats Morgan on the back before turning back to the guards. "So continue what happened."

"After you guys left, others figured out that there is life outside and got sick of being cooped up in here," the first guard explains. "The Overseer refused to let them leave and they started rioting."

"We had to do some indescribable things," the second guard shivers slightly with sorrow. "They, they killed Marrows. I don't even know if we should be doing this anymore."

"We have our orders," the first guard explains. "We were assigned as officers for a reason."

"I need to see the Overseer then. The world outside the vault is barren but there are definitely people out there. Maybe I can convince him," Chuck explains.

"I don't care anymore. If that is what it will take to restore peace, then I'll take you there," the first guard says to Chuck and Morgan. He looks over to the other guard, "keep your post and don't let anyone out."

"Alright," the second guard nods as Chuck and Morgan follow the first guard through the vault.

As Chuck and Morgan walk through the hallways, they see dried blood and dead radroaches littering the walls and floor. The windows are smeared with blood and some are cracked. The disturbing images cause Chuck and Morgan to shiver in disgust and fear.

They are finally taken into the armory where Chuck gets a flashback of seeing Ellie mortified in a chair and a guard interrogating her. Chuck shakes it off and sees three guards blocking a door. "I have two people the Overseer needs to see," the guard who led the way informs the other guards.

"We need your weapons first," one of the guards demands.

"I can't do that," Chuck insists. "How do I know you won't just arrest us?"

"You have our word."

"How 'bout you have our word that we won't use them," Chuck declares with confidence.

"Let 'em in," the Overseer hollers from his room.

"Go ahead," one of the three guards states as he rolls his eyes and they spread to let Chuck and Morgan into the door.

"Charles and Morgan," the Overseer greets them smugly. "It's so nice to have you guys back. Would you like to stay for dinner?"

"Cut the crap," Chuck snarls at him. He never really liked the guy and the guy always disliked Stephen for unknown reasons that Chuck has figured had to be because he wasn't originally from the vault. "We want to help restore peace in the vault."

"And make sure my parents are alright!" Morgan pipes up.

"Your parents are fine. How do you propose you save us all?" The Overseer asks with a tinge of resentment.

"I'm not quite sure, but I was hoping you'd help."

"I want to know what's out there," the Overseer points his hand off into the distance.

"It is barren. There are people but not for a few miles. It is also dangerous because of the creatures; too dangerous for everyone in here."

"We've had to deal with those giant cockroaches."

"Those are harmless compared to the things out there. It is almost impossible to survive without some type of protection. Some people have gone crazy and will do anything to survive."

"That means kill, rape, pillage," Morgan lists off.

"I don't want anyone in here to be tainted with that horrid land," the Overseer demands.

"I don't either," Chuck agrees. "I have an idea. Maybe I can convince the people who want to leave how dangerous it is. We both have first-hand experience."

"That could work," the Overseer looks at the ceiling in contemplation. "The trouble would be to convince them. They seem really set in their ways. They have gone so far as to try to sabotage our water supply, but were luckily unsuccessful."

"I understand the risks, but I am willing to try."

"Alright, I'll let you try as I have no other options," the Overseer rubs down his face once.

"I also want to know where Jill is," Chuck demands sincerely.

"She is one of the original rebels. She was the one who planted the idea in everyone's heads," the Overseer explains with a heavy tone of disgust. "She started all of this."

"I'll talk to her then. She's my friend," Chuck nods.

"Fine. They are holding up in the living quarters. You remember where that is?"

"Yea, I do. Thank you," Chuck turns to leave.

"I want to see my parents," Morgan demands.

"The infirmary," the Overseer points down the hallway.

"Thank you," Morgan follows up to Chuck and stops him. "Chuck buddy, let's go find Jill and fix this vault. Then we can see my parents."

"Are you sure, buddy? After everything you've done for me, I want to make sure you get to see your parents."

"Yea I'm sure. We're hetero-life mates after all," Morgan chuckles. "You're stuck with me now."

"Thanks Morgan and I never feel like I'm stuck with you. It has always been helpful to have you around."

"Lets go find Jill," Morgan pats Chuck on the back.

/

Chuck and Morgan warily walk through the vacant hallway after entering the living quarters. The first door on the right is of an empty bedroom. The bed sheets are on the ground and the mattress is torn to shreds. They continue deeper into the eerie quarters until they get to a common area that has entrances from four different ways in front of them.

"Where do you think they are?" Morgan whispers to Chuck.

"I don't know," Chuck tightens his grip on his gun from instinct.

"How dare you bastards come in here and try to stop us!" A voice echoes through the common area. Morgan jumps as he aims his gun at all the different possible ways for the voice to come from.

"I am not here to stop you," Chuck calls out. "Show yourself."

After a few seconds of silence, two people come from every way; aiming guns at them. "Alright, we showed ourselves. Now drop your guns or we kill you."

"Wait!" A female voice shrills through the common area followed by running footsteps. Before Chuck could react, someone is clung onto him with their legs around his waist and their lips on his. He opens his eyes widely as he sees Jill trying to deepen the kiss. Chuck doesn't respond to the kiss at all. Everyone lowers their weapons.

"What's the matter?" She smiles at him while still clung to him. "No hello kiss?" She asks jokingly as she climbs off of him.

"I wouldn't do that Jill," Morgan informs her. "He has a girlfriend and Sarah is a bit of the jealous type."

"Really?" Jill asks in surprise. Chuck starts to blush with humility.

"Yea and she is HOT!" Morgan drawls out the last word. Jill gives him a skeptical look. "I don't just mean hot, I mean HAWT!"

"Enough Morgan," Chuck says.

"She dwarfs you in every way," Morgan continues. Jill narrows her eyes at Morgan.

"Enough," Chuck persists, but Morgan continues to ignore him.

"She makes you look like a walrus."

"That's enough Morgan," Chuck stares daggers at him. "I'm sorry Jill," Chuck smiles sheepishly as his blush fades slowly. "It is great to see you again."

"It's great to see you too Chuck. I missed you a lot," Jill smiles at him.

"I missed you too," he smiles disarmingly at her and she blushes slightly.

"So what is it like out there? We are trying to get out but that asshole won't let us."

"It is horrible," Chuck starts.

"Except for Sarah and Anna," Morgan smiles. "They are like angels in hell."

"Not helping buddy," Chuck turns back to Jill. "It is dangerous. There are grotesque creatures out there that will kill you in a flash. A lot of the people went insane and will do anything to survive—"

"Which means rape, pillage, murder, etc." Morgan adds. "It is not a pretty sight. We saw someone who was raped brutally." Jill's eyes widen in worry and uncertainty.

"Jill," Chuck speaks in a humble tone, "I care about you. I care about all of you guys. It isn't safe out there. It's a bad idea to leave the vault. This fighting needs to end."

"You left and you seem fine," Jill questions him.

"We were lucky. We ran into two people that know their way around the wasteland and weapons," Chuck explains. "Plus, I had to leave. I had to find my parents."

"Did you?" Jill asks before covering her mouth in fear. "Ellie? Why is she not with you?"

"She's fine," Chuck explains; giving relief to Jill, "she is with my parents. I found both of them and they are fine; thank god."

"That's good to hear," Jill smiles.

"Please Jill," Chuck pleads with emotion, "it is a bad idea to leave. Trust me. It is too dangerous without proper protection and still, there isn't much out there that is worthy of leaving."

"Irradiated water, squirrel on a stick, Brahmin steak, it's not quite the same as good ole vault food," Morgan smiles at Jill.

"I trust you Chuck," Jill looks into his eyes. "Is it really a bad idea to leave the vault?"

"Yes Jill," Chuck looks into her eyes. "The vault is safer than out there."

"Screw that!" One of the other rebels yells.

"Yea! He's just the Overseer's pawn!" Another rebel shouts.

"Come on you guys," Bryce comes out of nowhere. "He's telling the truth. It's nice you see you again Chuck," he smiles at Chuck.

"It's great to see you too buddy," Chuck returns the smile.

"Look," Bryce calls everyone's attention onto him, "if it is dangerous out there, do all of you really want to risk your lives just to see what's out there?"

The crowd of rebels stays quiet in contemplation. They are not sure if it is worth risking their lives, but hate being imprisoned in the vault knowing there is an outside world.

"I have a proposal," Chuck shouts to everyone and they all listen intently. "How 'bout anyone who wants to see what it is like, which I assure you is not actually worth it, but just take a look outside the vault. The world is not what we were taught. It is just deserts and broken roads."

"That's a great idea Chuck," Jill smiles at him.

"I too like the idea but the Overseer might not allow it," Bryce says.

"I will talk to him. I just want you guys to stop fighting," Chuck tells them.

"I'm coming with you to see him," Jill declares. "I lost my parents because of him," a tear slips down her face. "They're dead."

"I'm so sorry," Chuck embraces Jill in a friendly hug. "They were always the nicest people. Why would he do that?"

"They were one of the first to try to leave the vault after being attacked by those giant bugs."

"Jill," Chuck holds her tighter, "I really am sorry. I don't know what to say."

"It's okay Chuck," she smiles through her tears. "Lets go talk to the Overseer and get your genius idea to work."

"Sounds good," Chuck smiles at her and the smile helps her sadness. Jill clings onto him as they walk back to the armory. Chuck is just thinking that he is lucky Sarah isn't here or she would be jealous, but then he starts to feel depressed because he misses Sarah so much and she could be gone. He takes it as extra motivation to get this plan to work.

/

Morgan left them to see his parents while Jill and Chuck talk to the Overseer. "There is a slight deviation from the original plans," Chuck explains as he and Jill walk into the Overseer's room.

"What is she doing here?" The Overseer seethes.

"Screw you!" Jill screams at him. "You let my parents die!"

"They were trying to leave the vault and as the Overseer, I cannot allow that."

"You still killed them," Jill says as she looks away from him to catch her bearings before tears emerge. She clings to Chuck's side and holds his chest tightly.

"Crap," Chuck mutters after the Overseer's obvious dislike of letting people leave. "Uh, the deviation was that they will stop fighting and get along but you have to give them the option to see what it looks like outside."

"No!" The Overseer shouts. "I will not let anyone leave!"

"You have to. I persuaded them the best I could but you have to let them see for themselves. Trust me; it is not worth it out there. They will see the minute they step out."

"I'm sorry Charles but I cannot allow that."

"Please," Jill begs, "don't you have any decency left? You'd rather innocent people die then to get along?"

"They are not innocent."

"Yes they are!"

"Look," Chuck demands both of their attention, "it doesn't matter who is innocent and who isn't. This is the best way. You can even send out a group of people to trade with the nearest town." Chuck looks at his pip-boy "Which is about five miles west of here."

"Trade?" The Overseer rubs his chin. He knows a deal when he hears one. "What do they have to offer?"

"New food, drinks, medicine, weapons, for protection only," Chuck stresses, "technology. It might be a good way to improve the vault life."

"Hmm…" The Overseer ponders deeply. "You offer an intriguing idea."

"The town is called Jacobstown. They are friendly and should let you in. At least they did with us."

"Alright," the Overseer smiles. "I think we can make this work. I will allow them to see what it looks like. I can set up some trade units with adequate protection."

"Thank you," Chuck sighs with relief.

"But no more attacks on us," the Overseer orders from Jill. "I want everyone to get along. This is not how I wanted this vault to go. I knew it was risky allowing your parents in all those years ago, Charles, but I guess it may pay off in the long run."

"I promise that we will stop attacking and will get along, but there may be slight fallout and people may be slow to accept these rules," Jill states.

"I understand that it will take some time, but I hope we can get back to how this vault was before any of this happened. Thank you Charles for doing this. I know you didn't have to come back."

"I wanted to," Chuck declares with conviction.

/

Jill talked with all of the rebels and they accepted the plan. Some even volunteered to be part of the trading unit on-the-spot, including Bryce. Chuck is ready to leave again; worrying about getting back to tell Sarah how much he loves her. Morgan meets him at the armory after talking with his parents.

"Hey buddy," Chuck smiles brightly at Morgan, "how are they doing? I got everything squared up here."

"Great and great!" Morgan resists the urge to jump on Chuck with glee. "My dad's going to be fine and they are so happy for me. It was so great to see them again. Thank you for letting me come along."

"I'm glad they're fine and you're happy. These people are your friends. Obviously I let you come. I'm sorry to be a buzz kill but I really want to get back and see Sarah."

"You need to get back and see Sarah," Morgan corrects him with emphasis on 'need.'

"Thanks Morgan. Lets go back."

"And get your girl back!"

"Chuck!" Jill shouts as she runs up to them. "I want to come with you."

"Jill," Chuck pleads, "please, I don't want you to get hurt. It is safer in here."

"I know but there is nothing left for me here. I need to find my purpose and it isn't in here Chuck. Please," Jill's eyes start to get glassy. Chuck winces as he cannot say no to her.

"Jill, if you come with us, I want you to talk to my parents first. They can help you out with finding your purpose."

"That's fine. I miss them too," Jill hugs Chuck.

/

The three of them leave the vault after getting a few bottles of purified water and some non-irradiated food. They step outside to see the sun is gone and it is quite dark. Chuck looks at his pip-boy to see that it is just past 9 pm.

Chuck starts increasing his pace to almost a run and Morgan and Jill struggle to keep up. "Chuck buddy!" Morgan shouts. "Slow down. We don't all have legs to our chests."

"Sorry Morgan but I miss her. I need to get back. I think I'm just going to jog all the way there," Chuck informs him seriously.

"That's suicide. It is too dangerous out there to be alone, let alone it being forty something miles," Morgan deadpans.

"I don't care. I'm just not the same without her. She means everything to me."

"Chuck, you just gave me a whole spiel about it being dangerous and you're willing to run off all alone for some girl?" Jill asks seriously; feeling a bit of envy that Chuck doesn't feel that way about her.

"She's not just some girl," Morgan tells Jill matter-of-factly. "She is like a blonde angel that only the gods could create."

"Morgan's right; well maybe not the whole 'only the gods could create' part, but he is right. She is not just some girl, she is the girl of my dreams; the girl that has my heart and I need her back," Chuck explains seriously.

"I didn't know she meant that much to you," Jill looks away from Chuck, thinking this girl is lucky that Chuck cares that much about them.

"She does," Chuck stares her in the eyes with pure truth and conviction. "I love her."

"Chuck," Morgan calls as Chuck starts to jog away from them, "please don't do this. She's going to be waiting for you. She loves you just as much!"

"Chuck!" Jill stops him and holds him in place by his upper arms. "You just saved probably everyone in the vault. You are not going against everything you told everyone now!"

"I have protection," Chuck sheepishly holds up his gun.

"Don't even give me that. I already lost you once and I'm not doing it again!"

"Fine, but I'm still going to walk quickly," Chuck pouts as he leads the way a few feet ahead of them.

"Wow," Jill whispers to Morgan; quiet enough for Chuck not to hear them. "He really cares about this Sarah."

"I've never seen him care so much. He cares about everyone and would give his life for either of ours, but Sarah definitely has his heart and that will never change," Morgan whispers back.

"She's lucky."

"You have no idea," Morgan smiles at Jill. "Let me tell you some tips I've learned from Buymoria," Morgan chants ecstatically; trying to change the subject.

"Buymoria?" Jill crinkles her brow in curiosity.

"That's where I live," Morgan smiles as he knows this is going to be a fun walk back.

/

Sarah finishes reading over all of Daniel Shaw's mission reports and found some odd discrepancies. She found it hard to keep her train of thought as her mind kept thinking of Chuck. She misses him so greatly. The first person she has ever loved and she hasn't seen him in over a day and a half now. She is still at the lab where Ellie and Mary are relaxing on the couch chairs.

Sarah walks up to them and joins them. "Hey Sarah," Ellie smiles at Sarah. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright. I miss him though," Sarah says as she sits down next to them.

"He'll be back in the next couple days," Mary promises.

"He will. We are all waiting for him," Ellie says.

"Thank you both. I have never really had anyone to talk to like this," Sarah sorrowfully explains with embarrassment.

"Well, now you do," Ellie smiles brightly at Sarah.

"I was kind of curious who this Jill person is," _and if she is a threat to Chuck and I being together again,_ Sarah thinks.

"She is Chuck's ex-girlfriend," Mary says. Ellie hits her in the arm immediately as Mary finishes it.

"She is Chuck's friend from the vault," Ellie skews the story, but it is too late.

"Ex-girlfriend? Chuck had a girlfriend before me?" Sarah doesn't know if she wants to cry or yell at Chuck.

"They never really were a couple. They were 'picked' to be together but they never actually clicked," Ellie tries to explain. "Chuck loves her as a friend but is definitely not in love with her like he is with you."

Sarah's face shifts several times in the last few seconds from shock and pain to confusion back to pain to finally relief. "Are you sure? They never did anything?"

"Maybe a kiss here and there," Mary answers. "Mostly just to fool us into thinking they were a couple, but they just didn't have the chemistry that you guys have."

"Yea, they were just too similar," Ellie continues. She can see the worried look on Sarah's face. "You have nothing to worry about. Trust me; Chuck loves you. He only has eyes for you."

"Thank you guys," Sarah smiles. "I really needed this."

"Sarah," Ellie smiles as she puts her hand on Sarah's, "you're like the sister I never had. I would do anything for you."

"I feel the same way about you," Sarah looks truthfully into Ellie's eyes. "I was an only child. What was it like having a brother like Chuck?"

"Well," Ellie smiles with laughter, "Chuck as a brother was just great. He has always been there for me when I needed him and he never let me down. I don't know about other people's brothers," Ellie laughs. Mary just watches the interaction between Ellie and Sarah and cannot help but smile in admiration. They are acting just like actual sisters, being there for each other.

"Chuck is a great guy," Sarah deadpans with a sad smile.

"A great guy who is coming back for you."

"Thank you Ellie," Sarah smiles genuinely. "I'm going to go home and get some sleep but this was really helpful. I wish I could have had you with me my whole life."

"You have me now and that's all that matters. We should probably get some sleep," Ellie stands up and hugs Sarah. "Goodnight Sarah."

"Goodnight Ellie," Sarah reciprocates the hug. "Goodnight Mrs. Bartowski."

"Mary," Mary corrects Sarah, "and goodnight Sarah. We'll see you tomorrow when you get the G.E.C.K."

/

Sarah lays down in her bed; missing the feeling of Chuck next to her. "I'm right here Chuck," she whispers to the ceiling like a prayer. "I'll be waiting for as long as it takes for you to come back." She tries to gain control over her emotions as she doesn't want to have to cry herself to sleep again. She decides to think of something else; anything other than Chuck.

Her mind for some odd reason drifts to and won't leave the Captain of the reinforcement team, Daniel Shaw. She doesn't know why but her gut instinct is telling her that there is something off about him. From Chuck's complaints about him eyeing her perversely to always covering his face to reading over his mission reports, there's just something about the guy. She doesn't get why he was covering his face as he is a classically handsome person unless he has a recent scar happened after the picture of him was taken. She decides to halt the thoughts to the best of her abilities by telling herself that she will check with Casey for his opinion and the fact that she shouldn't have to worry about dealing with this Daniel Shaw character anymore.

/

"Chuck," Morgan pleads, "we should get some rest. We've been walking all day and night."

"I don't care," Chuck responds. "I need to get back."

"I know you do, but it's not going to help if you're too tired to do anything."

"Morgan's right," Jill says before Chuck could protest. "Our bodies aren't meant to work like this."

"Fine," Chuck sighs in frustration. "We'll find somewhere to camp out."

"I know you miss her buddy," Morgan pats Chuck on the back, "but she'll understand."

"I hope so buddy; I hope so."

They find a good spot to camp and unload all of their stuff to get comfortable. Chuck leans back against the rock. Morgan finds another spot and relaxes in a similar position as Chuck. Jill snuggles up to Chuck and lies against half of him and hugging his chest.

"Jill," Chuck says to make sure she understands, "you are one of my best friends but I love Sarah. I do not want you to think there is something intimate between us."

Jill frowns into him before placing a fake smile on her face. "I am not trying to be intimate," she explains. "I am just cold and your body heat will keep me warmer."

"I just wanted to be clear," Chuck smiles at her. "Here," Chuck hugs her tightly to his chest, "this will keep you the warmest."

"I promise I won't try anything," Jill assures him although the thought has crossed her mind.

/

Sarah wakes up a little later than usual. She reminisces seeing Chuck's peaceful face next to hers as she lazily gets herself out of bed and ready to start the day; another day without Chuck.

After getting ready, she decides to make good on that decision of talking to Casey about Shaw.

/

Sarah walks through the NCR base and finds Casey at no other place than the firing range. She walks up behind him while he is firing an accurate hunting rifle. Casey fires a single bullet that pierces the head of the target.

"Nice shot," Sarah muses.

"Thanks," Casey turns to her. "Where's Bartowski? I thought you'd be riding him right now," Casey snorts.

"We broke up," she looks down at the ground and Casey sees the pain in her. "He's helping out with a problem in the vault he came from."

"Oh," Casey says sympathetically.

"I was just curious to know what your opinion on the Captain of the reinforcement team is."

"That kid with the shifty eyes and never lets us see his face?"

"Yea."

"I don't know. He seems capable enough to back us up. Why do you care?"

"I was just curious. I was looking over his mission reports and some things seemed odd about it."

"Like what?"

"He seemed to have no regard for human life unless the mission involved Enclave."

"So he is partial to Enclave then?" Casey asks for reassurance.

"It seems like that but there are no other signs that point to that. I guess maybe he already had training before he was recruited. I also have never heard of a General Romsworth."

"That guy was a pathetic excuse of a general," Casey says with disgust.

"Really?"

"He screwed up almost every mission he coordinated."

"What happened to him?"

"He just up and left one day about two years ago; didn't even give a letter of resignation. Beckman was livid about that," Casey chuckles.

"The captain was recruited two years ago by Romsworth. Isn't that coincidental?"

"Freak coincidence possibly."

"You think I should talk to Graham about it?"

"This isn't evidence. It's just speculations. You need hard evidence if you're going to confront Graham about it. Anyways, you're probably just being paranoid. Calm down, shoot a few rounds off."

"Thank you Casey. You're probably right. I'm just being paranoid."

"Also, get Bartowski back. You're not the same person without him."

"I know," she shyly agrees as she walks away.

/

Chuck, Morgan, and Jill continue on the long trek back; not stopping for anything. "Umm," Jill sheepishly tries to explain without being totally embarrassed, "I kind of have to uh go to the bathroom. Are there public restrooms anywhere?"

Both Chuck and Morgan break out into laughter. "What?" Jill demands. "It's a natural bodily function!"

"No, not that," Chuck says in between laughs.

"Public restrooms," Morgan mocks and they both break out into another fit of laughter.

"Jill," Chuck tries to calm himself, "they are no public restrooms out here. You have to do your business by a rock."

"Or if you're lucky enough to find a bush," Morgan jokes.

"Are you serious?" Jill asks incredulously.

"The wasteland is pretty harsh, huh?" Chuck jokes.

"You suck," Jill sneers.

"Sucks to be a woman," Morgan quips.

"Just look away," Jill orders as she finds a rock to squat behind. Morgan and Chuck snicker as they look the other way. They hear the distinct sounds of urination, which only serves for more laughter. Morgan slowly tries to look back. "Stop looking you pervert," Jill demands with a fierce roar.

"I wasn't," Morgan swivels his head swiftly to the same way as Chuck, who is laughing even harder. "You better be careful," Morgan warns Chuck quietly.

"What do you mean?" Chuck asks unknowingly.

"Jill is all over you man. It is so obvious she likes you."

"She's just being friendly Morgan."

"Yea, friends with benefits. Just be careful. Her and Sarah in the same room are going to create some tension."

"You're overreacting."

"Maybe I am, although a catfight between them would be so hot."

"That would," Chuck smiles at Morgan. "You know that I love Sarah though. That is all you need to worry about."

"I know dude. I just want to see you happy and she could cause some complications."

Jill finally finishes her business and they continue on their long journey back.

/

Sarah walks into the Bartowski Lab, ready to take the G.E.C.K. off their hands. "Dammit!" Sarah hears Stephen curse.

"What is it?" She asks him as she looks at the opened G.E.C.K.

"It's not working. I don't know why."

**/**

**This chapter dragged on for longer than I originally expected. Not much action again and I'm sorry for that. I have a plan on where this is going, but I didn't think it out properly. That is why this chapter is here instead of what I want in the next chapter.**

**Here's hoping I get more than three reviews this time. Please review because it is the right thing to do.**


	18. Chuck Versus the Competition

**I do not own Chuck or Fallout.**

**Thank you for the reviews so far. They are the soul of this story. I have written a couple chapters of another story I was thinking about. The author's note at the end has a summary that I would love to get your insight about.**

**I hope this will keep you happy before and after the toilet bowl.**

**/**

Chuck, Jill, and Morgan continue on their path as the sun reaches its peak. "At this rate," Chuck studies his pip-boy, "we can be back tomorrow by noon."

"Sounds good dude," Morgan says ecstatically.

"I can't wait to see your parents again," Jill smiles at Chuck.

"I don't know why I didn't do this earlier," Chuck hands Jill his pistol. "For protection. You can never be certain."

"Thank you Chuck," she palms the gun like it is something she has never seen. "Are you sure I need this?"

"Better safe than sorry. It's the best I could do right now."

"Alright Chuck. I'll only use it if I have to."

"Good; that's what I was hoping."

/

"What do you mean you don't know why?" Sarah asks Stephen incredulously as he just told her the G.E.C.K. isn't working.

"I'm working on it Sarah," Stephen says calmly. "For some reason, the generator isn't giving power to the replicator. Without it, the G.E.C.K. will only produce one of each seed."

"Maybe it has something to do with the wiring," Sarah voices her suggestion. "Maybe some wires are crossed?"

"They certainly aren't crossed but it could be that this wire is faulty."

"We can always get another, right?"

"I guess so. Let me cut open the protective casing to see if there is a problem with the wires."

"Okay," Sarah watches as Stephen takes a scalpel and carefully cuts open the red casing of the wire. After he cleanly slices down the length of it, he splits it apart to reveal a platinum wire and a gold wire.

"I see the problem," Stephen says after inspecting it. "You see this here," he points to where both wires are burnt and Sarah nods, "they are fried; useless. We need a new one."

"Alright, I'll go find one. Red with a platinum and gold prong, right?"

"Yea. Here," he hands her the fried wire after carefully disconnecting it, "use it as a reference."

"Thank you. I'll be back when I find the right wire."

/

Sarah goes to the NCR base and is heading to the room that contains all the electronic scraps when she is stopped by the Captain, Daniel Shaw.

"Agent Walker," he calls out to her and she turns around. He is still wearing the wrap around his face and a helmet so all she can see is his eyes.

"Yes?" She asks.

"Is there anything you need help with? I am ready for my next assignment," he tells her.

"No, the mission is just about complete. Just need to get something," she responds as she starts to walk away.

"Are you sure?" He persists. "I have no other obligations at the moment."

"I am sure, Captain Shaw," Sarah addresses him formally to show her superiority.

"Yes ma'am," he nods as she walks away. He watches her intently as she goes into the electronics scrap room.

/

Sarah digs through the numerous boxes of wires looking for the specific type that Stephen needs. Sarah has found several red wires but none that were what she needs. She is starting to get frustrated as she has been searching for over an hour.

/

Chuck, Morgan, and Jill are walking along when Jill starts to lunge ahead. "Hey," she tells them as she points ahead of them about one hundred yards, "there're people there." She sucks in a deep breath. "Hey—"

Chuck covers her mouth with urgency as he pulls her back. "Shh!" He shushes her quickly. She mumbles into his hand as he drags her behind a rock along the side of the broken road and Morgan follows right behind. He finally releases her mouth.

"What the hell was that for?" She demands angrily.

"You cannot trust anyone out here. It is safer to stay away from anyone," Chuck explains.

"How do you know they are dangerous? Maybe they are just travelers like us?"

"Jill," Morgan speaks up, "Chuck is right. You cannot trust them. They could be raiders, slavers, or just people who will kill us for our food and guns."

"Jill," Chuck sighs, "I know this is new to you but please don't do anything like that again. I really don't want to have to fight people just because you were curious."

"Fine," Jill huffs, "I'll be a good little bitch and obey your every command."

"That's a good doggy," Morgan pats her head jokingly like she is a dog until she gives him a menacing stare of hatred.

"Don't do this Jill," Chuck pleads. "I'm trying to protect us and you want to get us killed."

She just looks at him with narrowed eyes. "I don't want to get us killed," she starts to raise her voice.

"Well, waving to random strangers is a great way to do it," he deadpans with resentment rising in his voice.

"Enough," Morgan demands their attention and they both look at him. "Stop fighting. Jill, zip it. Chuck is right. Now lets make sure those people are gone before we continue." Jill glares at Morgan with hatred but shuts up.

Chuck and Morgan both look out from the rock to see the people that were walking perpendicular to them. After a couple minutes and no sight of the people, Chuck says, "the coast is clear. Lets keep moving."

They all continue on their path; Jill frowning silently.

/

Sarah finally finds the right wire with a platinum and a gold prong encased in red. It has been several hours and she hasn't eaten in over nine hours. She decides she is going to give Stephen the wire and then eat.

She walks out of the electronics scrap room with the correct wire in her pocket. Daniel Shaw starts walking towards her. _Why is he still here,_ Sarah thinks.

"Agent Walker," Shaw greets her, "it is nice to see you again."

"I still don't have any assignments for you," she cuts to the chase.

"I was just curious to know if you were hungry."

_Please don't fail me stomach_, Sarah begs her stomach not to growl. "I'm not interested and I'm not hungry at the moment. I have to get going," she rejects him blatantly.

"See you later, Agent Walker," he says with a very subtle chuckle in his voice.

Sarah walks away with her eyes narrowed. _What is up with that guy,_ she asks herself.

/

Sarah enters the lab to see the lab empty. Her first instinct is to go to her gun as she palms the grip of her Colt 1911 and cautiously searches the lab. She aims her gun ahead of her as she goes room to room, looking for any perpetrators.

She hears noises from the dining hall and alertly makes her way to the room. She peeks out to see Ellie, Devon, Mary, and Stephen eating dinner.

"Sarah?" Ellie notices her gun aimed outwards. "Is there a problem?"

Sarah relaxes and puts her gun away. "No, sorry. It was just that the lab was empty."

"That's because we're eating dinner it's just after 6:30."

Oh," Sarah looks away embarrassed as she didn't even notice how much time had passed, "sorry. I didn't mean to intrude."

"You're not intruding," Mary smiles at Sarah.

"You're welcome to join us for dinner," Ellie almost demands in a sincere way.

"I couldn't," Sarah responds.

"We insist," Stephen says.

"The more the merrier," Devon grins at Sarah.

"If you insist that I must eat your delicious food," Sarah quips as if it is a burden to her. She sits down by the table.

"Awesome," Devon clasps her shoulder in a friendly manner. "The Chuckster is gonna be back soon. Don't worry."

"Thanks Devon," Sarah smiles at him. "Oh," she looks over to Stephen, "I got the wire you needed."

"That's great Sarah. I'll take a look at it after this delicious meal," Stephen unorthodoxly rubs his hands together in anticipation. Ellie rolls her eyes at how everyone thinks her cooking is so amazing.

/

"Shouldn't we stop for dinner somewhere?" Jill asks.

"You really need to get used to this world Jill," Chuck tells her.

"There aren't any restaurants or anything out here. We have some food if we find a nice place to sit and eat," Morgan explains with a slight chuckle.

"Nope, sorry. I'm not stopping. We can eat on the move," Chuck tells them.

"You have to stop worrying," Morgan says.

"Sorry buddy but I can't until I see her again and know that she is safe."

"Fine, fine," Morgan gives up on trying to deter Chuck from his mentality.

/

"Wow Ellie," Sarah slides her plate towards the middle of the table and pats her stomach, "that was amazing. I never knew you can make noodles like that. I think I'm gonna have to work out extra hard tomorrow."

"Thank you Sarah," Ellie smiles at Sarah.

"If I knew you could cook so well, I would have taken you with us when we left the vault," Stephen quips.

"Guys," Ellie puts her hands up in surrender, "it was my pleasure to cook for all of you."

"I'm not kidding babe," Devon starts collecting the plates, "that was amazing. I would marry you for your cooking," he laughs as he plants a kiss on her cheek. Sarah gets up and starts helping Devon with the dishes. "I got it Sarah."

"I want to help," she smiles at him. "It's the least I could do."

"Thanks."

After they disperse from the dinner table, Sarah follows Stephen to the lab to check on the G.E.C.K. Sarah pulls out the wire and shows it to Stephen.

"That should suffice. Good job Sarah," Stephen says.

"No problem. So when's it going to be done then?" She asks.

"This time it should work fine by tomorrow. I'm gonna need to run a few diagnostics that won't be done until around noon."

"Sounds good. I'm going to get some rest. I'll be by tomorrow just before noon."

"Alright. Goodnight Sarah."

"Goodnight," Sarah leaves the lab to go home.

/

"Chuck," Jill drawls with an adorable pout on her face, "I'm tired. We should stop. It's already past eleven."

"I have to agree with Jill here buddy," Morgan says.

"Are you guys that tired?" Chuck asks.

"Yes," Jill says as she catches up to Chuck and tugs on his arm. "Please," she pouts with the most innocent look she can put on.

Chuck rolls his eyes as he sighs in frustration. "I'm too nice of a person, huh?"

"Nope, just the right amount of nice," Jill hugs his arm.

/

Sarah lies down in her bed. She looks at the picture of Chuck and her on the nightstand and she picks it up. She admires it for a few seconds and then kisses the image of him. "Goodnight Chuck. I love you." She puts the picture back and tries to fall asleep.

/

After finding a good place to rest, they all lie down to fall asleep. Jill does her usual as she tries to cuddle against Chuck. "Jill," Chuck warns, "if you're cold, there's always Morgan."

Jill freezes up for a second. She quickly comes up with a reason to cuddle with Chuck. "Morgan kind of creeps me out," Jill whispers to Chuck so Morgan doesn't hear her.

"Fine, whatever," Chuck says apathetically as Jill clings to his side and under his arm. Chuck shakes his head as Jill snuggles her face into his chest. He can tell she is trying to get more comfortable than warm against him. He knows he shouldn't do this because he loves Sarah, but he isn't cheating or anything, right? Chuck starts to think Morgan might be right about Jill trying to get intimate with him.

"Goodnight Chuck," Jill leans up and gives Chuck a peck on the cheek.

"Goodnight Jill," Chuck says with very little enthusiasm. "Goodnight Morgan," he calls to the bearded one a few feet from them.

"Goodnight Chuck. Goodnight Jill," Morgan says as he tries to fall asleep.

"Goodnight Sarah," Chuck whispers to the stars wondering if she is sleeping or staring at the same stars at the exact moment.

"I'm not Sarah," Jill says.

"I know, I wasn't talking to you," Chuck tells Jill. Jill shuts up after feeling humiliated and just snuggles closer to Chuck. "I love you," he barely whispers audibly before falling asleep.

/

Chuck stirs in his sleep as he feels aroused. His first thought is Sarah, but the uncomfortably hard rock he is laying on tells him he isn't in a bed, but then he can feel her pressed against his side; or at least someone pressed against his side. His mind finally clears up as he remembers the fight with Sarah and then need to get back to her. Then who is next to him and touching his—he looks down to see a brunette mop flushed against his side. Jill's hand is in his pants and he can feel her cold nimble fingers around his bare length.

"Jill!" Chuck shoots up. "What the hell?" Chuck scrambles to get her hand out of his pants but she is gripping tightly. Morgan bolts upright from the booming voice ofChuck. He looks over to see Jill's hand in Chuck's pants and rolls his eyes because he saw this coming.

"I thought you wanted this Chuck?" Jill asks innocently as she removes her hand.

"No Jill," Chuck stands up furiously and doesn't even try to hide the erection in his pants, "I never said I wanted this! You know how I feel about Sarah!"

"I'm, I'm sorry. You were giving me all the right signals."

"I wasn't giving you any signals!" Chuck retorts angrily.

"You kept letting me hug you and you let me cuddle with you while we slept. You even said you love me last night."

"No! First of all, you kept hugging me. I never openly hugged you back. Second, I only let you cuddle with me while we slept because you said you were cold and I thought I was being a good friend. And I said I love you to Sarah! I obviously shouldn't have done any of that!"

"I'm sorry. I'm an idiot," Jill looks at the ground and lets out a sob. Another sob wracks her body.

"It's alright," Chuck says in a hush tone as Jill starts sobbing uncontrollably and cannot help but comfort her. "Lets just forget it happened. Can you do that?"

"I can," Morgan says.

"Yea," Jill wipes away the tears. "I can do that too."

"You're not an idiot Jill. You just mixed up the signals I gave you. It's my fault," Chuck says in the same hush tone as he takes the blame to calm her although it was clearly her fault. "You're one of the smartest people I know. That's why I wanted to take you straight to my parents. They are your best bet to find something to make a living out here."

"I understand," Jill smiles at Chuck through the streams she has yet to wipe away. "Thank you Chuck; I'm sorry about this morning."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Chuck smiles at her and she smiles back thankfully.

"What do you mean Chuck? She was—" Morgan is about to retell the horrific morning 'quickie' but Chuck glares death at him and he realizes what that means and shuts up.

"Lets get a move on. We need to get back," Chuck takes the lead as Morgan and Jill follow behind.

/

Sarah sleeps in yet again because she has nothing to look forward to and no Chuck to cuddle with until the G.E.C.K. is ready. She picks up the photo of her and Chuck and gives the image of Chuck a brief kiss. "Good morning Chuck," she whispers before getting out of bed.

/

"Come on you guys," Chuck cheers ecstatically. "We're only a few miles away."

"We're going as fast as we can," Morgan tells Chuck.

"I know; I'm just so happy to get back to see Sarah."

"I bet she'll be sitting in the chair waiting for you to sweep her off her feet and make hot passionate love to her."

"I hope so buddy. I hope so," Chuck grins. Jill cringes slightly and feels a wave of anger and jealousy start to fill her with rage.

/

Sarah walks into the lab to see Stephen relaxing on the lounge chair. Sarah smiles at him. "I take it it's done?" She asks with a knowing smile.

"Yep," Stephen smiles back, "It's all yours now. I hope they know what to do with it."

"I'm sure they do," she answers quickly before her face softens to worry. "You haven't heard from Chuck yet, have you?"

"Nope, sorry Sarah," Stephen says with truthful sorrow. "I'm sure he'll be back soon though."

"Alright. I'm going to go drop off the G.E.C.K."

"You can wait here if you want. I don't mind and Ellie and Mary would definitely enjoy your company."

"Sounds great. I'll be back in an hour," Sarah leaves with the G.E.C.K. suitcase in hand. She hasn't felt this excited in a while. She not only gets to get the G.E.C.K. mission accomplished, but she's going to get to wait with her new sister from another mother and new surrogate mother that she has become so fond of until Chuck comes back.

/

Chuck sprints the last hundred feet to the lab where he hopes Sarah is waiting for him. Morgan and Jill follow a little behind. Chuck dashes through the door and stops short when he sees Stephen, Ellie, Devon, and Mary talking.

"Chuck!" Ellie stands up and walks up to him.

"Ellie," he smiles at her. She opens her arms to embrace him, so he opens his arms. She clenches her right hand into a fist and punches him in the arm as hard as she could. "Ow! What the hell?"

"That was for leaving Sarah! What is wrong with you?"

"Where is Sarah? I need to see her," Chuck ignores Ellie's comment as he worriedly pants.

"She should have been here. She just dropped off the G.E.C.K." Stephen informs Chuck.

"Maybe she went home," Chuck turns around to leave but Ellie stops him.

"Chuck. Are you alright? What happened at the vault?"

"I'm fine except for this pain in my left arm," Chuck bobs his head exaggeratedly as he narrows his eyes at Ellie. "I worked everything out. Talk to Jill and Morgan." At that second, Morgan and Jill both walk in to see everyone. "Love ya mom, dad, and sis. Gotta go," he runs out of the lab.

/

Chuck gets to Sarah's home. He walks up to the front door; there is a note on it. Chuck looks at the note and reads it.

_Chuck, if you ever want to see Agent Walker again,_

_I advise you to come to the corner of Wilshire and Highland alone._

_If I see anyone else, I will kill her and _

_Lay waste to such a beautiful creature. Your best friend,_

_Captain Daniel Shaw_

"Oh shit," Chuck grabs the note and squeezes it in his hand. "Sarah," he breathes out in fear and worry. "I need help."

**/**

**That's all for the chapter. Please review… Just kidding.**

**I couldn't do that to you. I may be messed up in the brain, but not that messed up.**

**/**

Sarah slowly lifts her head as her eyelids are heavy from the remaining effects of the tranquilizer. She looks around and sees her clothes neatly folded on a table a few feet from her. She notices she is upright and feels straining in her shoulders as she realizes her arms are bound to a pole and she is hanging in just her underwear and panties.

"What the fuck is this shit?" She says.

"Ah," a mysterious male voice says from behind her, "you're awake." The man walks around from behind her while letting his hand graze her right ass cheek. She sways as far away from him as she could from her dangling position.

"Shaw," she says as she sees him standing there in an Enclave Officer's uniform. "What the hell is this? You're Enclave?"

"Like it's not obvious enough," he smirks. Sarah hates smirkers as she narrows her eyes with the thought of murdering Shaw.

"Where's the G.E.C.K.?"

"Safely in the hands of the Enclave. They are very appreciative of your contribution to changing the world," he chuckles maniacally.

"Now I know why you always covered your face, you ugly fucking pussy," Sarah says with venom in her voice.

"I'm not known for being a pussy, but you sure have a nice one," he smirks even more as he look down at her groin area. His smirk only increases her rage.

"You pervert. You're going to die for treason and kidnapping an NCR agent."

"Why don't we add rape to that too," he leans in close to her face.

"Fuck you," she head-butts him in the nose; causing a loud crack. Shaw flinches back as his nose starts to bleed.

"You stupid bitch," he backhands her across the face. "You broke my nose," he complains before leaving to clean off his face and stop the bleeding from the inside of his nose. Sarah's right cheek slowly starts to redden from the force of his slap.

/

Chuck hurries to the NCR base and looks everywhere until he finds Casey at the armory. "Casey, oh my god, you have to help me!"

"What is it Bartowski?" Casey looks up from cleaning Candy.

"Sarah! He took her. We need to get her back!"

"Wait, who? Who took her?" Casey stands up and grabs Chuck by both arms.

"The Captain! Daniel Shaw!"

"Walker was right. That filthy pig was a traitor."

"We need to save her but he said I have to come alone or he'll kill me."

"Damn," Casey clenches his fists. "You need to go in alone. I'll get your back with sniper fire."

"If he hears a shot then he's going to kill her though," Chuck worriedly explains.

"That's why I'm using a silenced sniper rifle," Casey picks up from the wall of guns. "Deadly and silent," Casey lets a subtle smile grace his face at the thought. "Do you know how many people are with him?"

"No I don't. We need to hurry though. I don't want anything to happen to her."

"I know Bartowski. Lets get over there and kill some traitorous assholes," Casey grabs a silenced 10mm pistol and hands it to Chuck before they head out.

/

Chuck and Casey make it to the building that contains Shaw and Sarah. It is on a corner and the building looks abandoned. Chuck and Casey intelligently camp out in a building that has a good vantage point of the building.

"What are we gonna do Casey? I'm scared," Chuck paces back and forth as Casey checks the amount of enemies. "My last words to her were how she only cares about the mission. I can't let that be the last she's heard of me. Please Casey," Chuck starts to tear up.

"Calm down Bartowski. It's not going to help Walker if you have a nervous breakdown," Casey says as puts his rifle down. "I spotted three Enclave guards in power armor."

"Enclave? What the hell do they want?"

"I don't know what they would want with Walker but the G.E.C.K. is something they would want."

"Shit, shit, shit," Chuck mutters. "They probably have The G.E.C.K. and Sarah. I'm going in unarmed except for a knife."

"Wait Bartowski. Think about this. You need a gun."

"No, look. They have someone sitting in front of the door. He is just going to find it on me and probably kill me. If I hide the knife well enough, I could sneak it in."

"That's a bad plan Bartowski. I could take out the guards and you can sneak in through the fire escape," Casey points to the black metal stairwells that look rickety and old on the left side of the building.

"That is a better idea," Chuck agrees.

"You just have to be stealthy. Can you do that?"

"I, I don't know. What if they see me?" Chuck mutters as the fear starts to overcome him and he starts to breakdown nervously.

"Snap out of it," Casey orders. "You cannot save Walker if you worry like this. She needs you. Are you going to save her or just let her die?"

"I'm saving her," Chuck says with conviction.

"Good, now there is only one guard with sight on the fire escape. You sneak close to it. I'll take him out and then you climb up the fire escape and sneak into the building."

"But I don't know what floor she is on and how many enemies there are inside."

"You'll have to take your chances. I don't see anything through the windows," Casey says as he looks through his sniper scope. "Wait!" He sees someone peeking out of a window on the third floor. "That's your best bet. The third floor. Second window from the right."

"Alright. I'm taking the silenced 10mm pistol," Chuck says as he grabs it and holsters it in the back of his pants waistband.

"Good. I'll wait until you get into position before I kill the enemy."

"Sounds good," Chuck hurries out of the building Casey is now holed up in.

/

Shaw walks back into the room after stopping his nosebleed; tissues are stuffed in his nostrils and a bandage is around the bridge. He peeks out of the window to see the one guard posted outside the door. Shaw walks back over to Sarah, who was trying to slide out of the ropes bound around her wrists; only causing her wrists to chaff and burn.

"Don't even try to get out," Shaw says.

"Is this how you treat all your dates?" Sarah sneers. "I didn't know you were into this kind of sick shit Shaw."

"Keep talking," Shaw smirks. Sarah grunts as he smirks again; god she hates smirkers. "Just wait till your boyfriend gets here. I'm going to make him watch me rape you over and over. Then I'm going to kill his measly ass with a bullet to the head. I might keep you as my new muse," he laughs maniacally. "You can be my sex puppet."

"You're fucking sick. You know that? You're pathetic," Sarah spits on him. The spit lands on his shoe as he backs up.

"Oh?" He asks; his intrigue perplexed.

"Yea, you can't even have sex without raping someone," Sarah bellows a laugh. Shaw narrows his eyes at her. "Wow, I'm right, "she says from reading the expression on his face, "you are pathetic. What do they teach you at the Enclave, the techniques of how to hold a person down as you try to put it in them?"

"Don't be so coy with me Sarah," Shaw smirks. There it is again; that damn ugly smirk. Does this guy have to smirk every time? "If you want me to put it in you, you don't need to beat around the bush. That's my job," he snickers at the joke.

"Fuck you."

"No, but I'll fuck you once your boyfriend gets here."

"He's going to kick the living shit out of you when he gets here. Then I'm going to castrate you and leave you to bleed to death," Sarah smiles deviously at him.

"Please," Shaw laughs, "that boy toy of yours couldn't hurt a fly if your life depended on it." Sarah lets a smile sneak across her face as she realizes that Shaw doesn't know Chuck has the Intersect.

/

Chuck sneaks out of the building he came from and across the street. He stealthily ducks his way to a dumpster along the left side of the building. He peeks out to see the guard wearing Enclave power armor. Chuck winces as he sits his back against the dumpster.

He looks up at where Casey is and doesn't see anything. After a few seconds, he sees a faint muzzle flash that no one would notice unless they look directly at it. Chuck hears the speed of the bullet as it whizzes by him. He then hears a clunk as the guard's now dead body drops to the ground.

Chuck peeks back over to see blood pooling around the enemy's head. He looks back at Casey and gives him a thumbs up. Chuck quickly sneaks over to the body and sees the bullet hole that pierced right through the enemy's forehead; a perfect shot. Chuck climbs up to the fire escape and gets up the starting ladder.

The fire escape creaks as he gets to the second floor platform. "Thank god I'm only going to the third floor," Chuck sighs with relief as almost every step causes a creak. Chuck carefully makes it up the stairs to the third floor. He turns the corner to get of the third floor platform where the window into the building is when the platform gives way.

The grate under Chuck's feet breaks off and falls from under him. He grabs onto whatever his hands can reach as his right hand grips the railing on the outside of the fire escape and his left hand grazes the stairwell; missing its opportunity to grip anything solid and slices open along part of the platform that tore off. He grimaces as he sees blood drip from his left hand. Luckily, his right hand held so he didn't fall, but his hand is in a lot of pain and his gun falls from his pants and clatters on the ground. "Shit," he drawls.

"Shit," Casey copies as he watches through his sniper scope Chuck fall and his gun hit the ground. "You got this Bartowski," he sees Chuck hang on by his right hand.

Chuck slowly manages to get his leg up on part of the platform that is still there. He gets up onto the platform and looks at the gash on his left hand. "Oh god that's a lot of blood," he mutters as he weathers the pain and sneaks into the window to see the room he gets into empty.

He pulls out his combat knife and readies it as he makes his way to the door. He slowly opens it to see he is at a hallway. Casey said the third floor and that he saw someone in the window so it must be to his right. He makes sure the coast is clear as he steps out and starts sneaking down the abandoned hallway.

He sees an intersection of a perpendicular passage thirty feet before the end of the hallway he is already in. He continues until he finds himself at the end of a hallway where a window is. He peeks out of the window to see what he is looking at.

Casey sees Chuck in the window two away from the one he saw someone peeking out of. Casey walks up to the window and puts up two fingers, hoping Chuck can see it.

Chuck looks at where Casey is in the other building and sees his hand up. He cannot tell how many fingers he is holding because the distance is too great, but Chuck declares it as two or three. Chuck backtracks until he gets to the hallway intersections. He believes Casey showed two or three so he skips the first door and gets to the second.

/

"He's still not here," Shaw tells Sarah as he peeks out again to see the guard still there. "Maybe he doesn't love you. Maybe he was just using you for your body. That's what I would do," he laughs.

"Shut up," she spats with hate.

"We all know NCR agents aren't supposed to have intimate relationships. The problem is they aren't real people. You're not a real person. You don't have emotions like normal people do; like Chuck does."

"Are you retarded? Well, you must be," she laughs, "you are working for Enclave. If I wasn't a real person, then how do I exist at all?"

"You know what I meant. People despise you for the sickening things you've done. Taking advantage of people for your own good. You don't deserve to find love."

Sarah stays silent as she mentally denies what he is saying.

"That's it," Shaw laughs at the determined look of hatred on her face. "Tell yourself that you are a normal person; that Chuck loves you. You think he loves you? He was gonna leave you anyways once he found out about how you don't know anything about a relationship. You were raised to kill, not love. It's in your wiring as for Chuck, it's the opposite."

"You don't know anything about me or him!" Sarah screams at Shaw.

"That's where you're wrong," Shaw smirks for what Sarah would count as the hundredth time. "You see, I watched you and your boy toy's every move when I had the chance. I know exactly how much of a little pussy he is and how all he cares about are feelings."

Sarah stays quiet as she tries to suppress the emotions that are brimming inside her. Shaw's words are starting to hurt because Chuck's last words to her were how she didn't care about anything but the mission.

"That's it," Shaw caresses her cheek. She jerks her face away from his hand. "He would've gotten sick of you anyways. You might as well be the whore you were raised to be."

"Fuck you," she screams at him as her eyes start to water. She has never been called that and it pains her for someone to think of her like that.

"You're just a whore. You might as well let me rape you," he laughs as he places his hand on her shoulder, slowly letting it glide down towards her chest.

"Get away from her, you bitch!" Chuck shouts with pure hatred from Sarah's right and Shaw's left.

**/**

**What a place to stop the story, huh? I'm a devious little one. I know I made Shaw out to be a perverted prick, but almost every story portrays him as some kind of a-hole.**

**Can anyone guess what the last quote that Chuck says is? It is quite famous and I thought it fit really well in that exact spot.**

**I wasn't sure if I should make Jill attracted to Chuck, but I decided to go that way just to make everything even more screwed up between Chuck and Sarah. It looks like they both have lovers of some sort lol.**

**I have a story stuck in my head that I wrote a couple chapters for. It is about Chuck and Sarah having a long distance relationship after season two if Bryce got the Intersect 2.0 and Sarah was working with him, and Devon and Ellie's original wedding went off without a hitch. Let me know if that is worthy of uploading or should be scrapped in a review.**

**Please review because I really need them. They are the only thing that is helping me write this.**


	19. Chuck Versus the Traitor

**The quote at the end of last chapter was from Aliens and one4all was the first to answer correctly. Congratulations.**

**Double whammy on updates because I updated two stories at the same time.**

**I do not own Chuck or Fallout.**

**Thank you for the amazing reviews. They really make my day. I have now passed the 100 mark on two stories and that is all thanks to your generosity.**

**I hope I didn't make Shaw too sick and perverted for anyone's taste. I'm sorry for ending the last chapter like that. It was totally messed up to do and I feel kind of bad, but not bad enough to not do it again. Muhahaha…**

**/**

Chuck knows that Shaw is in either the second room or the third so he sneaks into the second one first, hoping that Sarah is still very much alive and not harmed at all.

/

Sarah is bound by her hands above her head. She was stripped of her clothes except for her underwear and bra. Shaw's repulsive paw is slowly making its way from rubbing her shoulder, down towards her breasts.

"Get away from her, you bitch!" Chuck shouts with pure hatred from Sarah's right and Shaw's left.

"Chuck?" Sarah shouts with exuberant hope as she and Shaw look over to the origin of the voice. Shaw is startled and freezes up.

Chuck throws his combat knife in the direction of Shaw. It slices through the tense air with a slithering sound and penetrates into the outer part of Shaw's left shoulder.

Shaw shrieks in pain and stumbles back as he grips the knife in his shoulder. "You threw a knife in my shoulder?" He asks rhetorically while in pain as he pulls out the knife with a grimace.

"Well, to be honest, I was aiming for your face," Chuck says vehemently before a flash overtakes him.

"Are you retarded?" Shaw laughs as he sees Chuck's eyelids flutter. Chuck grins at him as he rushes towards Shaw before he could think about using that knife on Sarah. Chuck throws a lunging punch towards Shaw's face that collides with his left cheek.

"Hmm…" Chuck grunts smugly as Shaw recovers from the punch.

"Not bad," Shaw smirks, "for a weakling." They both hunch over in preparation of a grueling and masterful fight as they slowly walk in circles. "You shouldn't have thrown that knife at me. Now I have the advantage," Shaw smirks.

"That's what you think," Chuck retorts as he sees the blood seeping from Shaw's left shoulder; that's his weakness now. Chuck smirks deviously as he puts out his right hand and provokes Shaw by wiggling two fingers to tell Shaw to attack.

Shaw lunges forward with the knife in his right hand. Chuck ducks under his arm towards the left and uses his momentum to swing back around to throw an extra powerful right hook into Shaw's left shoulder.

Shaw's left shoulder slumps as he screams out in pain. "You asshole!" He yells as he attacks again with the knife. Chuck dodges the knife attack and tries to repeat his right hook, but Shaw reads him and rotates to land an elbow into Chuck's chest. Chuck stumbles back and crashes through the window; shattering the glass.

"No!" Sarah shouts with fear from her bound position in the middle of the room.

Casey sees Chuck's back as it emerges from the now glassless window. "That's my cue," Casey mumbles as he takes aim on the guard at the front door. The guard is looking up to see glass rain down from where the window was. Casey fires a shot that slices right through the guard's occipital lobe. The guard drops to the ground without even being able to feel the depression in his cranium.

The other guard starts running for the door as he sees the spray of blood that just materialized from his teammate's head. Casey aims a few feet ahead of the guard and fires another shot. The guard gets to the door and grabs the handle before the bullet slices through his neck and wedges into the door. Blood sprays out all over the door and the guard drops to his knees and holds his neck before crumpling over dead.

"First recon baby," Casey cheers as he looks back into the window to see if he can get a clear shot on Shaw without the risk of killing Chuck.

Shaw attacks Chuck as he swings his right arm and comes down on Chuck with the blade. Chuck blocks his slash as their forearms clash together. Chuck cannot use his left hand because it was sliced open from the fire escape. Chuck grips his wrist and tries to push him away, but Shaw's strength is too much and the knife inches closer towards Chuck's face.

Chuck is cornered against the wall and is slowly falling out of the window; his lower back against the edge of the wall. The knife is inching closer as he can feel it against the bare skin on his cheek. The knife continues to delve deeper into his cheek until the flesh splits open.

"Please stop Shaw!" Sarah begs as tears start to form from her eyes and she writhes to try to get loose. "You're killing him!"

Chuck squeezes his eyes shut in pain as the knife penetrates his skin before he finally releases Shaw's wrist with his right hand and punching Shaw in the stomach.

Shaw flinches backwards; giving Chuck some room to maneuver away from the wall. Shaw comes at Chuck once again with the blade ahead. Chuck knocks Shaw's attack away swiftly with his left forearm and jabs at Shaw's left shoulder; where the knife wound remains. Shaw winces as the pain courses through him.

Chuck continues his attack as he spins so his back is to Shaw and strike's Shaw's right cheek with a spinning back elbow. Shaw stumbles as the knife falls from his hand and he struggles to catch his balance. He stops himself with help from the ground as he puts out his arms and lands on his palms. He quickly gets back up, but no longer has the knife as it slid to approximately the same distance between Chuck and him.

They both lock eyes and then look at the knife and then back to locking eyes. After a second of tension between the two, Shaw dives for the knife as Chuck lunges towards the knife. Shaw slides across the ground on his stomach as his hands close in on the knife; his left hand out-stretched ahead of the rest of his body. Chuck sprints towards the knife at the same time.

Shaw reaches the knife and grips it with his left hand. Before he can turn around to use it, Chuck dives over Shaw and grabs his left hand and wrenches it behind Shaw's back. Chuck continues the roll as Shaw's arm bends backwards until his body is forced to turn. Chuck uses his left forearm to hug Shaw's forearm to his stomach. Chuck then wraps his right hand around Shaw's fist that is gripping the knife while pushing it away from his chest; causing Shaw's radius and ulna to fracture loudly.

Chuck uses his knees to give him leverage to wrench Shaw's arm from his shoulder; dislocating it with a pop and dealing Shaw a lot more pain. Shaw screams out in pain as he drops the knife onto Chuck's chest and then it falls to the ground. Chuck feels Shaw's arm go limp and summersaults backwards into a standing position.

Shaw is holding his left shoulder as tears of anguish start to escape his watery eyes. Chuck looks down at him with pure hatred in his darkened eyes. "This is for kidnapping my girlfriend," Chuck states viciously as he kicks Shaw across the left cheek and knocking him out completely.

Chuck runs to the window and gives Casey a thumbs up to say he is alright and it is safe inside before he rushes over to Sarah. "Oh my god! Are you alright? I missed you so much! I love you and I didn't mean anything that I said before," he hugs her tightly.

"I know Chuck," she smiles at how adorable he looks when he is nervous and babbles. "Can you get me out of these ropes please?"

Chuck looks at her and then looks up to her wrists. "Oh, sorry," he mutters as he sprints to grab the knife by Shaw's unconscious body and hurries back to Sarah. He cuts the rope but Sarah doesn't drop her arms.

Instead, she jumps onto Chuck and attacks his lips with all the passion in the world. Chuck stumbles backwards as he tries to hold her without dropping her. Their lips stay locked for over a minute until Casey barges in to ruin the moment.

"I thought you would have been passed this part," Casey grumbles until he sees Shaw lying on the floor unconsciously. "Good work Bartowksi. Now I get to torture the bastard," a rare smile graces Casey's face.

"Just don't kill him for me," Sarah demands sweetly before going back to kissing Chuck.

"Don't worry. I won't," Casey drags Shaw into another room by Shaw's foot.

"God Sarah," Chuck admits as he sits against the wall. "I was so worried about you. I was so scared that I lost you."

"But you didn't and I'm right here," Sarah says as she puts her clothes back on.

"I'm such an idiot for yelling at you. I didn't even give you a chance to explain anything. I thought that would be the last of us. I thought you would get yourself reassigned and just move on. God, I was so scared," tears start to form in Chuck's eyes.

"I would never do that," Sarah hugs Chuck as tears start to fall from both of their eyes. "I love you Chuck. I would've waited my whole life for you to come back because you mean that much to me."

"Really?" Chuck looks down as she looks up at him from their cuddled position.

"Yes Chuck. I'm nothing without you except for an agent. You make me feel like a real person and I would never let anything happen to you. You just have to promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"You'll never leave me because that would kill me."

"Are you crazy Sarah? I could never leave you. You mean everything to me. I would die of a broken heart without you."

"I love you," she goes back to hugging him tightly and snuggling her face into his shoulder as she sits on his lap.

"I love you too," he says emotionally as he massages circles on her back with his right hand.

Sarah looks up to see the cut on his cheek and frowns worriedly. "Are you alright?" she asks as she traces the gash lightly with her forefinger.

"I'm fine," he smiles at her. "It's just a flesh wound." He uses his left hand to support himself; forgetting that it is split open and slightly bloody. He grimaces and removes the hand from the ground.

"Chuck? What's wrong?"

"It's just my hand. I cut it on the fire escape."

Sarah grabs his hand and studies it to see how bad it is. "Oh Chuck," she mothers him, "what happened?"

"The fire escape dropped from under me. Let's just say the fire escape won that battle. I'll be fine."

"You better be," she leans forward and kisses him on the lips. "I need you."

"I need you more," he kisses her forehead as they wait for Casey to finish his interrogation.

/

About twenty minutes later, Casey walks back into the room that Chuck and Sarah are inhabiting. Casey's sleeves are drenched in blood but the rest of his body is virtually spotless with just a few specks of blood on him. Chuck and Sarah are sitting down by the window and holding each other lovingly.

"I'm all done with him Walker. If you need to let out any pent up anger, now's the chance," Casey says with a devious grin.

"That took long enough, Chuck quips. "Did you get the location of the G.E.C.K.?"

"To be fair, it took ten minutes to wake him up—"

"Sorry about that," Chuck smiles at Casey while Sarah lies in his arms.

"No problem but yea, he gave it to some of his Enclave buddies. Looks like we're going to war," Casey unorthodoxly laughs throatily as Sarah climbs off Chuck's lap.

"Where're you going?" Chuck asks her.

"I made a promise I need to make good on," she smiles at Chuck as she swiftly picks up the combat knife off the ground and spins it in her hand masterfully. "He still awake?" She asks Casey.

"Yea, barely," Casey responds with a chuckle as Sarah walks out of the room with a giant devious smile on her face. "You might want to cover your ears for this Bartowski," Casey suggests sincerely; knowing whatever she is going to do is going to be horrific.

"Why?" Chuck asks perplexed as he crooks his head.

A second later, a bone-shrilling shriek tears through the ear drums of Chuck. It is the most ghastly haunting sound Chuck has ever heard as it invades his sense of hearing. Chuck shivers as the sound finally fades out after about ten seconds.

Sarah walks back into the room with both of her hands slightly bloody. "Here, catch," she says playfully as she tosses something small and cylindrical to Chuck. Chuck impulsively catches it.

"What is it?" He asks as he opens his hand to reveal the entire length of a penis. "Ah!" Chuck shouts as he retracts his hand swiftly and the rod-shaped flesh rolls of his hand and drops to the ground. "Why would you give that to me?" He cleans his hand against his pant leg vigorously.

"Please tell me he's dead now," Casey says after seeing the bloody male genitalia roll along the dirty ground.

"He will be soon," Sarah smiles brightly at Chuck and Casey.

"You're one fucked up woman Walker. You better not leave her Bartowski or you're gonna be next."

Chuck shivers violently as he covers his groin. "I, I love you Sarah. You know that," he informs her shakily. "Please, I didn't mean to get mad at you the other day. I'm so sorry. Please don't cut off my dick," he pleads with all his heart and like his life depends on it.

"I would never do that to you Chuck," she walks up to him with a seductive smile. "I need it to be attached to the most loving man in the world. His name is Charles Irving Bartowski and I love that man more than anything else," she kisses him on the lips.

Chuck is in too much shock to kiss her back. "Uh…" He is at a loss for words.

"Lets go home Chuck. I missed you so much," she snuggles against his side as they walk out of the building while glued to each other.

/

Casey decided to let Sarah and Chuck go home while he debriefs Director Graham on the location of the G.E.C.K.

"Major Casey?" Graham says slightly surprised. "I expected Agent Walker to explain the absence of the G.E.C.K."

"Yea, well," Casey ponders the best way to explain everything, "Captain Shaw was a double agent working for the Enclave."

"Are you kidding me?" Graham says as angers starts to rise in him.

"No sir. He kidnapped Agent Walker and stole the G.E.C.K."

"Is she alright?" Graham says before scolding himself for acting like a father first when he should act like a Director first.

"Agent walker is fine. Shaw threatened to… take advantage of her. Bartowski and I were successful in apprehending Shaw before he was able to make good on his threats."

Graham sighs in relief. "So, where is Shaw now?"

"Well, he is most likely dead after I interrogated him for the location of the G.E.C.K."

"So, you know where it is?"

"Yes sir. He told me it is on Figueroa and Olympic."

"Ugh," Graham pinches his nose as he sighs in frustration, "that place is the scourge of New Angeles."

"I know sir."

"Alright. I want to have a debriefing tomorrow at noon. Inform Agent Walker and Bartowski."

"Noon sir?" Casey asks because that is later than usual.

"I want Agent walker to get some rest. She deserves it."

"Yes sir. I will let them know."

"That will be all," Graham says as Casey walks out.

/

Chuck and Sarah both arrive at her home. She goes straight to the bedroom and strips off all her clothes. Chuck notices the hurried fashion that Sarah is undressing and doesn't know what to make of it. "Sarah? Are you alright?" He asks cautiously.

"I'm fine. I just want to take a shower," she answers quickly as she heads into the bathroom.

"Are you sure? You seem kind of agitated."

"I'm fine! Can't I just take a shower first?" She retorts with some anger that Chuck didn't expect. She runs into the bathroom and starts the shower.

Chuck furrows his brow in confusion as he watches the closed wooden door to the bathroom. He needs to take a shower too, so he dresses down to just his boxers and waits on the bed for her.

After about fifteen minutes, Sarah is still in the shower and Chuck is pondering what she may be doing. "Sarah?" He asks as he knocks on the door but gets no response. "Sarah? I'm coming in," he says as he slowly opens the door.

He walks into the bathroom to see her scrubbing her left shoulder vigorously with the bar of soap. He sees her eyes are red and puffy, and her naked body is drenched in tears and water. Chuck takes off his boxers and slips in behind her. "Sarah," he whispers in a hush tone as he slowly takes the bar of soap from her hand.

"I need to clean it off," she cries out as she resists his attempt to take the bar of soap.

"You are clean," Chuck offers as he successfully procures the soap.

"No, it won't go away! The dirt and grime is still there."

"Sarah, you're as clean as you'll get."

"No! It won't go away! It won't go away," she breaks down in a fit of tears and falls to her knees and then onto her ass. She hugs her legs to her chest and cries as the shower head sprinkles her body. "Why won't it go away Chuck? Why?"

Chuck slides down until he is sitting with his legs extended on each side of her as he slowly pulls her shoulders back so she can lie on top of him. "Sarah, everything is alright. You are clean and beautiful."

"No, I'm not Chuck," she cries as she leans back so she is against his chest. "I'm all dirty. That disgusting prick touched me and the filth won't go away. I can still see it on my arms."

"What happened to you is not your fault," Chuck says; not sure what else to say to her. "He betrayed everyone and he got what he deserved. You have to understand that he is gone. He cannot hurt you anymore."

"I know, but I can't shake the feeling of grime on my body," she turns so her chest is pressed against his. "I don't know how to get it off." She hugs him tightly around his chest.

"It is off. It is all in your head Sarah. You are clean. You need to understand that. Please, Sarah, I don't know what else I could say."

"I'm sorry Chuck for burdening you with this," she cries into his chest.

"You're not, Sarah. I love you and I will do whatever it takes to make you happy again. "

"Chuck, I needed you and you were gone. You were gone when I needed you most," she bawls into his chest. "Where were you Chuck?"

"I was saving Jill," he answers as he strokes her back to comfort her. "I should never have left you though. Please forgive me Sarah. That was the dumbest thing I've ever done in my life. I promise to never do it again."

"Who is this Jill? Do you love her more than me?" She scares herself at the thought that Chuck loves another girl.

"What? No!" Chuck declares with conviction while looking into her eyes. "I do care about her but not even marginally as close as I love you Sarah. Please, you have been the only girl for me."

"But I was almost; almost…" her voice trails off as she doesn't want to think about what would have happened to her. "…And you were helping her when I needed your help more."

"I know and I feel like the biggest idiot for leaving you and not being there sooner. You're not the only one hurting from this. It hurts so much to see you crying like this. I want to see you smile again because it is the most beautiful thing ever."

"I just wish you would've let me explain to you before you left. I was gonna go with you Chuck. I wanted to make sure you were successful and nothing happened to you."

"I'm sorry for being the dumbest person in the world. How could I make it up to you Sarah? I will do whatever it takes to show you how much I love you. Just give me a chance to show you. I don't think I can live without you Sarah. Being without you for the last few days has been the worst feeling."

"It was the worst feeling for me too. I was so scared that you weren't going to come and he was going to—"

"But he didn't," Chuck cuts her off before she can get to any grotesque details. "I stopped him in time. The whole time I was gone, I was worried about you. Then when I got back and I saw the note, I felt my whole world crash around me. I thought I lost you," Chuck starts to tear up at the sick thoughts of losing Sarah. "I was so scared that I would never see you again. My life would've been over."

"I believe you Chuck," Sarah slides up to give him a kiss on the lips. "Just please don't cry because it makes me want to cry."

"I won't. I'm just happy you believe me and are giving me this second chance," he kisses the top of her head. "I will never betray your trust."

"I don't feel human anymore," she whimpers out quietly as she remembers all the harmful things Shaw said to her.

"What do you mean? You are definitely human because you care about a lucky nerd named Chuck," he tries to brighten her mood with humor.

"I wasn't raised to love like you Chuck. I don't know how to have a relationship. You're going to get bored with me—"

"No!" Chuck holds her head up so she can look into his eyes. "Don't even think that. I don't have relationship experience either and the only thing I need from you is your love."

"I do love you."

"And that's all I need from you," Chuck smiles at her as he reaches his leg out to turn off the shower. "Now, let's get you out of the shower and into bed." Sarah stays quiet as she thinks about everything that Shaw has said and what Chuck just said. Chuck turns off the shower and looks down as her face is buried in his chest. "Sarah?"

"Okay," she whimpers quietly, but still lays there; hesitant to do anything. Her mind is still in disarray after everything that has happened.

Chuck gently slides from under Sarah and climbs out of the tub. Sarah lies along the floor of the tub in the fetal position, shivering slightly as Chuck grabs a towel and wraps it around her. He wraps his left hand with a bandage and places another bandage on his left cheek. He helps her stand up and takes her out of the tub. He puts the towel over her head and massages her hair until it is fairly dry as she stands there motionless as if she is not inside her own body.

He takes the towel and rubs her whole body down to dry her off. She continues to stand there stationary as he dries her from head to toe. He then dries himself off. "I'm gonna carry you into bed, alright?" He looks at her for confirmation.

She nods her head subtly. He delicately lifts her by her sides and hugs her to his chest as she loosely wraps her legs around his back. He carries her into the bedroom where he pulls down the covers and lays her in the bed softly.

He tucks her in snugly and then slides under the covers next to her. He wraps his arms around her tenderly and gently brushes a few stray hairs behind her ear to reveal her beautiful face and kisses her cheek. "I love you Sarah," he whispers into her ear before laying his head right behind hers while on the same pillow.

"I love you too," she turns into him and hugs him tightly as she drifts off to sleep in the comfort of Chuck's arms and body heat.

/

Sarah wakes up refreshed and notices she is in Chuck's arms, flushed together chest to chest, and they both are totally nude. She finally realizes how much she missed waking up in his arms. She gives him a soft kiss on the cheek and hugs him a little tighter.

Chuck stirs awake and opens his sleep-heavy eyelids to see Sarah's dazzling blue eyes looking into his. A smile grows on his face when he sees her. "Did I wake you?" She asks peacefully.

"Best thing I've ever woken up to," he quips with a huge grin.

"I missed you so much Chuck; waking up in your arms," a smile grows on her face, "kissing you, "she kisses him on the lips, "just being here in general."

"I missed you too. I made the biggest mistake of my life leaving you. I promise I will never do that again."

"I'm sorry for last night," she looks down shyly.

"Don't be Sarah," he lifts her chin back up so she can look into his eyes. "You had every right to do what you did. I'm just happy to be back with you in my arms because… God," he drawls out with awe, "I missed this feeling. I love you so much."

"I love you too. Can you keep everything that happened yesterday quiet?"

"My lips are sealed. I would never tell anyone how close I was to losing you forever."

"Thank you," she smiles as she tries to get loose from his grasp but he doesn't let her go. "Come on Chuck. We need to report to Graham and I'm sure your parents are worried sick about you."

"But I want to hold your beautiful body forever," he pouts after getting a glimpse of her breasts as the covers slid down when she tried to wrestle out of his arms.

"You do propose an adequate alternative," she quips, "but we need to get the G.E.C.K. back. I'm not letting that asshole win the war." She slips from his grasp and he leans across the whole bed, trying to reach her.

"Oh my god," he says in awe. Sarah turns around quickly in worry.

"What?" She asks quickly.

"Your, your body. It's so beautiful. I missed it so much," his jaw-dropped stare turns into a giant smile. Sarah's worried expression turns into an equally large smile.

"And it's all yours, just not right now. We need to get dressed," she throws a clean pair of panties at Chuck's face. After it hits him, he bundles it in his right hand.

"You're not getting these back," he demands playfully.

"Come on Chuck. I need them to cover my 'you know what'," she begs as she points at her groin like it is obvious.

"You bring your 'you know what' here right now," he orders with a grin.

"Only if you give me those back."

"I will," his grin deepens as she saunters over to him seductively. He pats his lap and she sits down on it. She springs from his lap almost immediately.

"Chuck," she sits up quickly after feeling something poke her.

"Sorry, it's the morning. Plus, you're just the sexiest girl in the world," he informs her as an excuse, "I'm a man after all."

"I want to see it," she smiles at him seductively.

"See it?" He furrows his brow. Her eyes dart from his face to his groin as she licks her lips. "Ask and you shall receive," he quips after realizing what she meant. He drops the panties on the side of the bed and pulls the covers away to reveal his erection.

"Mmm…" Sarah licks her lips as she climbs over him like a seductive feline lioness. She gets on top of him and leans down to give him a kiss. The kiss deepens and Chuck loses sight of the world around him as he falls into her spell.

She releases the kiss and quickly grabs the panties and slides off him. She smiles at him smugly as she slides them on. "That is so not fair," he complains as he sees her waist covered and his erection still waiting to be 'massaged.'

"All is fair in love and war," she leans in and gives him a kiss. He feels neglected and wraps his arms around her waist and throws her onto the bed and climbs on top of her. "Ah!" She screams in laughter as she lands on her back with Chuck directly on top of her. "Chuck, stop it," she playfully pushes him off her.

"You can't leave a man hanging like that," he says huskily as he breathes on her lips.

"Literally," she jokes as she tries to slide up and out from under him.

"Oh know you don't," he grabs onto the sides under her armpits and kisses her breasts.

"Chuck!" She laughs out wholeheartedly.

/

After Chuck and Sarah finally get dressed and out of their house, they go straight to the Bartowski lab to make sure they know he is safe. They both walk in hand in hand to see everyone relaxing on the chairs, catching up with Jill and Morgan. Everyone looks at them with different expressions. Ellie and Mary both have a look of awe of how adorable they look. Devon, Morgan, and Stephen all have big grins to see that they are back together and happy. Jill feigns a smile as jealousy erupts inside her.

"Chuck! Sarah!" Ellie runs up to them and hugs them. They accept the hug and luckily she cannot tighten the hug too much because she hugs both of them at the same time. "I'm so happy you guys are alright and that you're back together."

"I'm glad too," Chuck smiles at Sarah. She looks at him lovingly. Ellie then punches Chuck in the left arm really hard. "Ow! Dammit Ellie! Why do you keep hitting me?" Sarah giggles as she hugs his right arm.

"For doing stupid things like leaving Sarah and then not telling us you're okay after leaving to find her."

"Well, I won't do it again sis. I think I'm more scared of your punches than anything else."

"That's what I thought," Ellie smiles victoriously. "Now what happened to your face?"

"Tripped and face planted," Chuck lies clumsily with a chuckle. "You know me, Mr. Klutz."

"Right," Ellie drawls as if she doesn't believe him. "We're catching up with Jill and Morgan. I have to say baby brother, what you did for the vault was very heroic."

"What can you say, he's a hero," Sarah quips as she steals a glance at Chuck and he smiles back lovingly.

"That you are," Ellie leads Sarah and Chuck to the rest of the group.

"Sarah," Chuck points to Jill, "this is Jill. Jill this is Sarah."

"Hi," Sarah waves kindly to Jill.

"So you're the infamous Sarah that Chuck wouldn't stop going on about," Jill jokes.

"I guess that's me," Sarah shrugs. "It's great to see all of you again."

/

After they caught up for a while, Casey came by to inform them about the briefing with Graham. They all left and arrive at the NCR base. They walk into Graham's office to see him at his desk.

"Sarah, are you alright?" Graham stands up quickly as he sees her walk in.

"Yes, I'm fine," she assures. "Chuck was able to stop Shaw in time."

"That's good to hear. Great job Agent Bartowski," Graham smiles knowingly as everyone else's brows furrow in confusion at the word 'agent'. "That's right; I'm making you an honorary agent."

"Really?" Chuck smiles in surprise.

"You saved one of my best agents and someone who I care about."

"Thank you sir. I am honored to be deemed of such high status but I would have done that for Sarah no matter what."

"And she's lucky to have you," Graham says with a subtle smile as he knows he needs to get down to business. Sarah smiles as she locks eyes with Chuck. "Alright, down to business."

"Major Casey, you were able to extract the location of the G.E.C.K. from that traitorous asshole who is thankfully dead in a ditch somewhere."

"My thoughts exactly," Casey reminisces.

"He's actually in an abandoned building but yea, he's definitely dead," Chuck says as he remembers the gruesome details of Shaw's… he doesn't want to think about it.

"Moving on," Graham gives Chuck a quick glance to shut him up, "the location is on Figueroa and Olympic; the Staples Center to be specific."

"What's that?" Chuck asks curiously.

"It used to be a sports arena before the bombs. Now it acts as a marketing hub," Graham explains.

"Why would they sell the G.E.C.K.?"

"Money, control, could be a number of things," Casey answers.

"I have reason to believe that they want to keep the G.E.C.K. Every gang, organization, everyone has their own post there. That is the safest place for them to store the G.E.C.K until they can get reinforcements and a Vertibird to take the G.E.C.K. back to their base of operations," Graham informs the team.

"Damn, I forgot they have those," Casey grunts.

"The VB-02 Vertibird is an aircraft similar to a helicopter," Graham answers the unasked question on Chuck's mind, "with a Gatling laser, missile launchers, and mini nukes."

Chuck swallows loudly in fear. "It's alright Chuck," Sarah rubs his arm affectionately. "They wouldn't dare try to attack us with that. It's just that we need to get the G.E.C.K. back before they can get it on the Vertibird."

"Precisely," Graham nods. "I need you guys to head out there tonight and try to sneak in and re-acquire the G.E.C.K."

"Yes sir," Casey nods.

"I even procured some Enclave officer uniforms," Graham grins deviously as he puts on an Enclave Officer hat.

"I like the cut of your jib," Casey grunts with a slight grin.

"I want you in their by midnight and out by sunrise. We cannot afford any miscalculations and we have no knowledge of when the Vertibird is arriving so it is dire that you re-acquire the G.E.C.K. before morning."

"Yes sir," Sarah nods as Casey gathers the outfits.

"I must stress caution on this mission. I will have a team of trustworthy," Graham stresses the last word, "soldiers just outside ready for extraction. Good luck."

"Thank you sir," Sarah says.

"We'll see you tomorrow then," Chuck says optimistically.

"That's a promise. You are dismissed," Graham sits back down as the team leaves his office.

/

Chuck and Sarah go back to the lab to inform everyone that they will be gone on a mission tonight.

"Chuck!" Jill jumps on Chuck and gives him a kiss. Chuck turns his head just in time for her lips to graze the side of his lips. Sarah narrows her eyes in angry jealousy.

"Uh, Jill. It's um good to see you again too," Chuck sheepishly greets her. Chuck can feel the tension between Jill and Sarah.

"Hi Sarah," Jill smiles smugly at Sarah.

"Hey," Sarah says quickly before turning to Chuck with a look of predation. "Chuck, I missed you so much the last few days. I can't get enough of you," Sarah pulls Chuck down and gives him the juiciest kiss she can provide. Her tongue stretching his cheeks as it presses against them. Chuck's eyes widen before he remembers to kiss back.

Jill sees Sarah's tongue protruding in Chuck's cheek and scowls as she watches the kiss last for way longer than necessary. Sarah finally releases the kiss and Chuck stands there wide-eyed and his mouth still agape. Chuck almost falls over like a tree being cut down from the bottom, but Sarah holds him upright. Sarah smiles curtly at Jill before leading Chuck to the chairs where everyone is sitting.

Jill reluctantly follows as Chuck finds a seat on the couch chair and Sarah sits on his lap and wraps her arms around his neck. Chuck is definitely getting a vibe of jealousy from Sarah as she is acting so different.

"So, what's your mission now?" Morgan asks.

"We have to get the G.E.C.K. back dressed as Enclave officers," Chuck responds.

"And you have the uniforms, right?" Ellie asks.

"Yes, we all have a uniform that should work quite well," Sarah smiles at everyone.

"So, what's your name then?" Morgan asks. Chuck furrows his brow. "For your disguise? Don't tell me you don't have a back story. Every disguise needs a back story."

"I don't think we need a back story," Sarah says sweetly as Chuck laughs but Morgan is deep in thought.

"Chuck, Sarah, level with us. How dangerous is this mission?" Mary asks.

"I don't want to lie to you guys. It is pretty dangerous, but with Sarah and Casey by my side, I'll be fine."

"Please be careful," Ellie pleads.

"Come on, it's me," Chuck quips.

"And I'll keep him from doing anything too stupid," Sarah jokes and gives Chuck a passionate kiss on the lips.

"What was that for?" Chuck asks with a stupid smile on his face.

"Because I love you," Sarah kisses him briefly this time.

"I love you too," Chuck responds as he pulls her closer to him. Sarah steals a satisfied look at Jill, who looks angry and jealous.

"I got it!" Morgan exclaims and everyone looks at him expectantly. "Your name is Charles Carmichael. You are an Enclave Officer that was promoted last year after holding off your post against an army of Brotherhood of Steel. You never knew your parents and the Enclave took you in when you were very young."

"Really?" Chuck asks in disbelief.

"What do you mean? That's a great back story for you," Morgan says smugly.

"Nice to meet you, Carmichael," Sarah says using the titular name as she plays along with Morgan's cover.

"Sure, buddy. I'm Charles Carmichael then," Chuck jokes with a laugh.

"I like it," Sarah expresses her satisfaction. "What about me?"

"Hmm…" Morgan scratches his beard thoughtfully.

"I'm just kidding Morgan. I don't need a cover story. We will probably barely even talk to the other guards."

"No, wait," Morgan says calmly. "Just give me a few more seconds."

"Morgan," Ellie says, "she said you don't have to worry about it."

"How 'bout we talk about it in private," Sarah leads Morgan out of the room.

"This is hardly necessary," Morgan muses as they get away privately.

"What is going on with Jill and Chuck?" Sarah pressures.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Morgan answers quickly, but the worry in his eyes and face give away that he is lying. Sarah doesn't even need to be a spy to be able to tell he is lying.

"Spill it!" Sarah threatens as she leans into Morgan's face.

"Jill tried to give him a hand job," Morgan throws his hand to his mouth in pure utter fear after snitching. He shakes his head in terror from the look of pure hatred that is pouring out of Sarah's face.

"I'm gonna kill that bitch! How could Chuck do that to me?" Her face contorts from anger to hurt instantly. "I, I thought he loved me?"

"No, wait! He does," Morgan finds his voice as he realizes Sarah is more hurt than angry. "He's totally in love with you. All he thought about was how he was going to tell you he was sorry and hoped that you would take him back."

"Then why would he let her do that?"

"Well, technically he didn't. She kind of slid her hand down while he was asleep," Morgan says sheepishly.

"What?" Sarah's anger surfaces again.

"The first thing Chuck did when he realized that she was 'you know,' stroking him," Morgan incessantly does the hand motion for a pissed off Sarah; "he made her stop."

"And how long did it take him to realize," she stresses the word angrily, "that she was on him?"

"The second he woke up, he shrieked and forced her to get off of him. He was a total trooper about it too. He decided to just forget it ever happened."

"Do I need to eliminate the threat?" Sarah narrows her eyes at Morgan.

"The threat?" Morgan furrows his brow. "Jill? No, no! Don't kill her. She just misinterpreted the signals."

"So Chuck has stayed faithful to me?"

"Completely faithful. I am honestly surprised how resolute he was. I would at least think about letting Jill finish me off if she did that to me," Morgan says and Sarah gives him a dirty look. "I'm just saying," he shrugs.

"Thank you Morgan," Sarah surprisingly hugs him. Morgan is a little shocked by her action, but puts his arms around her upper back in a friendly manner.

"It's alright. Chuck is lucky to have you," Morgan says sincerely.

"You're a great friend. Chuck's lucky to have you too." She releases the hug with a smile and starts to walk back.

"Wait! What about a cover for your mission?"

"My name is Jenny Burton and I was raised by a con-man for a father. I ran numerous cons until Enclave gave me the opportunity to join them or sit in prison for the rest of my life. I've looked up to all of them and have become one of the most trusted officers in the Enclave."

"Wow," Morgan says unbelieving. "That is quite well done… and detailed."

"Thanks," Sarah smiles at Morgan.

"How did you do that?"

"What?"

"Create a cover in two seconds."

"That's my job," she winks at him cryptically. "Now, let's get back to everyone else before I find Jill molesting Chuck."

**/**

**Long chapter, huh? Over 7,000 words. I thought you all deserved it after the week long break. I may change the update interval to weekly now because I have been slumped with schoolwork and other crap that is mostly useless in life.**

**I hope I didn't make Shaw too sick and screwed in the head. I wanted him to at least be disliked by everyone.**

**Reviews are always needed and never incessant.**


	20. Chuck Versus the Vertibird

**Sorry for the delay. I've been busy with school work and my other story.**

**I do not own Chuck or Fallout.**

**/**

Chuck and Sarah meet Casey in a tent inside the NCR base to insure they all have the plan for the mission down. They all put on their Enclave outfits for their disguise.

"We can't bring in any large weapons. Hide a knife and pistol on you," Casey informs them.

"That sucks," Chuck mockingly pouts. "No big boy guns on this mission."

"You're afraid of guns, moron," Casey gives him a narrow eyed look.

"I'm talking for you," Chuck smiles. "I know how much you love larger weapons," Chuck drawls the last two words as he expands his hands from the center of his body.

"Is that a sex joke?" Sarah asks with a teasing smile.

"Ye—No!" Chuck quickly changes his answer after seeing the livid look on Casey's face. "It was just that Casey like big guns like Candy and his M4."

"Nice save," Sarah kisses him on the cheek with a scrunched up smile.

"Moron," Casey grunts under his breath before continuing the mission parameters. "Alright, we use the disguises to walk through undetected."

"We already have our covers," Chuck smiles. "What's yours, Casey?"

"Did Walker fuck your brains out last night?" Casey asks with disbelief as Chuck and Sarah freeze in position from the unexpected question. "Stop asking stupid questions. We go in as Enclave officers and once we find the G.E.C.K., we steal it and escape. It should be just a snatch and grab."

"Silenced weapons. Don't kill unless necessary," Sarah adds in.

"I better be allowed to kill," Casey growls.

General Beckman walks into the tent to everyone's surprise followed by Director Graham. Chuck's back is turned to the entrance.

"Ma'am," Casey stands at attention and Sarah quickly follows suit. Chuck looks at them with a furrowed brow thinking that they are standing at attention for him.

"Guys?" Chuck asks cautiously as he looks at them like they are crazy.

"Ahem," Beckman coughs to get Chuck's attention. Chuck spins around to see the short red head.

"Hello," Chuck says sincerely with his hand out to shake hands.

"You didn't lie about his ignorance," Beckman says to Graham while ignoring Chuck's outstretched hand before turning back to everyone else. "At ease soldiers."

Sarah and Casey relax. "Didn't expect you to be here General," Casey muses.

"When it has something to do with infiltrating Enclave premises, I need to know about it," Beckman responds. "So what is the plan?"

"We infiltrate the base using these disguises," Casey starts.

"We locate the G.E.C.K.," Sarah continues.

"Re-acquire it and sneak out. No casualties unless necessary," Casey finishes.

"What modes of defense do you have?" Beckman asks.

"Combat knife, silenced pistol," Casey informs her, "and a laser pistol to complete the disguise."

"And some throwing knives," Sarah smiles as she pulls up her shirt to reveal a holster around her lower abdomens and containing six knives.

"And if your covers are compromised?" Beckman queries.

"Knife to the throat; bullet to the head," Casey cannot stifle his grin. "Whatever's more appropriate for the situation."

"Take this," Beckman hands him a handheld radio. "It's a shortwave communication radio. I'll have my best soldiers in contact just outside Enclave territory."

"Thank you ma'am," Casey takes the radio and pockets it.

"I want to exterminate the Enclave from New Angeles. Radio the team when you have the G.E.C.K. and need extraction. They'll attack and get you out of there safely."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good luck out there Colonel Casey," Beckman grins unorthodoxly.

"Excuse me ma'am?" Casey is flabbergasted. _Did she say Colonel?_

"Your dedication to this country is unrivaled and you have proved yourself worthy."

"Thank you General." Casey knows to not question the reasons. He would never have expected a promotion after leaving without proper orders only a few months ago.

"Good luck Agent Walker," Beckman says and Sarah nods. "Good luck… Agent Bartowski," Beckman's voice is wary and hesitant. Chuck just nods because he doesn't want her to dislike him anymore than she seems to already. Beckman walks out of the tent.

"Good luck," Graham nods to all of them before following Beckman.

"Mr. Colonel over here," Chuck playfully hits Casey on the arm with a bright smile.

"Don't get cocky," Casey growls back although he can barely stifle the grin growing on his face.

"Congratulations," Sarah says sincerely.

"Yea, thanks," Casey grumbles shyly as he rarely shows gratitude. "Now let's move out."

/

The team arrives at the Staples Center as the time ticks just past eleven at night. They all have their complete disguise ensembles on; the hats, Enclave suits, and laser pistols holstered on their sides. Sarah's hair is in a neat pony tail to keep it out of her face.

"So we get in and get out," Casey informs them. "This should be easy. Don't mess it up Bartowski."

"Why do you say me only?" Chuck asks with a tinge of annoyance.

"Because you're a moron and Walker knows what she's doing."

"Cut it out girls," Sarah stifles a grin. "Let's get inside.

The three of them walk into the Staples Center. There are booths along both sides of them; all are closed up and quiet while many homeless people are sleeping against the tents in raggedy and tattered clothing. They continue out into the actual arena area to find the seats rusty and many uprooted and missing. There is a tarnished yellow flag dangling against the top of the wall that has holes that disrupt the words that read: _Angel_(hole)_ Lakers World Champ_(hole).

"I don't like this place. Full of creeps and basterds. Watch your backs," Casey says as he sniffs the grotesque musty air.

"Enclave base is in section 114," Sarah informs everyone.

"What are we waiting for?" Chuck asks rhetorically as he leads them towards the base.

They walk through the dirty, grimy arena and notice two guards at the Enclave sub-base.

"Now what do we do?" Chuck asks from the position they are hiding in.

"We can't just walk in. They will suspect us," Sarah says.

"I'm willing to kill them both," Casey grunts and the two other members look at him. "I'm just saying," Casey shrugs.

"We need a reason to have been out, right?" Chuck asks them.

"Yea," Sarah says; curious to know where Chuck is going with his line of thought.

"So, how 'bout we decided to enjoy some R and R?"

"We act drunk?" Casey says unbelievingly.

"Exactly," Chuck smiles.

"I can do that," Sarah informs them.

"Fine. I'll be the designated walker," Casey grunts.

Sarah takes off her hat and hands it to Chuck. "What's this for?" He asks.

"Put it on over your hat," she responds.

"What?"

Sarah rolls her eyes before she takes the hat from him and places it over his already existing hat, but crooked.

"Alright," Chuck drawls in confusion.

Sarah undoes her ponytail and flips her hair around to loosen it and make it unruly, and then covers one of her eyes with it. She unbuttons the top of her outfit, perks up her breasts, and loosens her collar. She unbuttons Chuck's shirt until it is completely unbuttoned to reveal a white undershirt.

"Now we look convincing," she gives Chuck a quick kiss on the lips.

The three of them walk up to the two guards; Chuck and Sarah stumble slightly.

"Good evening," Casey tips his hat to the guards.

"What's your business here?" One of the guards asks.

"What do you mean?" Sarah slurs slightly through half-closed eyelids as she acts ditzy and drunk. "We were just enjoying our night off," she laughs perkily as she stumbles into one of the guard's arms. The guard catches her and smiles wickedly as he rubs her arms up and down. Chuck quickly takes her from the guard before he gets too frustrated with that creep touching her.

"Weresorrysir," Chuck feigns his intoxication by slurring his words together. Sarah giggles as she falls into his arms.

"As you can see," Casey glares at Chuck and Sarah laughing in each other's arms, "they are not… fully there."

"Is that your gun or are you just happy to see me?" Sarah giggles perkily with a slur as she grinds against him.

"Why can't it be both?" Chuck asks as he laughs.

Both guards study them for a few seconds. "I'm sorry but we are advised not to let anyone in," the guard says.

"You're gonna leave two intoxicated officers on their own in this area?" Casey starts to get angry.

"Nope," Sarah plays with the loose ends of Chuck's shirt as she dances subtly. "No touching," she laughs at him. Chuck then puts his finger on her lips and she engulfs his finger into her mouth, and sucks and licks it sexually. Chuck's eyes widen for a moment of surprise before he pretends to drool, although it took very little pretending.

"Orders are orders," the guard says with a tinge of apology as the other guard watches Sarah's mouth intently. "You know how it is."

"Yea, I do," Casey voice morphs back into calm and collected. He takes a look at Sarah and they both nod at each other.

Chuck pushes Sarah out of his arms and she falls towards one of the guards. The guard gets ready to catch her again. With the extra force from Chuck's push, Sarah pulls out a throwing knife in less than a second to fall into the guard's neck; the knife stabbing right through the larynx.

At the same time, Casey pulls out his silenced 10mm pistol and pulls the guard's head down and fires two shots into the guard's chest. The guard slumps to the ground.

"Help me move the bodies," Casey grunts as he moves the guard he just killed into an empty tent as Sarah and Chuck carry the guard she killed into the same room.

The Enclave area is filled with numerous tents all under one giant tarp that serves as a type of roof.

"Where do we start?" Chuck whispers.

"We search the right and then the left," Casey whispers back.

They start searching each room that is occupied by either sleeping soldiers or filing cabinets and desks. They start to get to the end and see an opening that leads to the darkness of night. There is a sign that points outside and reads: _Landing Pad_.

Chuck notices the sign as they walk by and start to search the right side of tents. Suddenly the faint sounds of Vertibird propellers reverberate into the arena. "Shit," Casey curses angrily. "They shouldn't be here yet."

"We need to search faster," Sarah says. "We're running out of time."

"Guys?" Chuck asks curiously.

"Not now Chuck," Sarah quickly responds.

"Guys, I have an—"

"Shut up moron and help us search," Casey interrupts Chuck. Chuck is starting to get annoyed.

"Can you guys just hold up for one second?" Chuck whispers harshly. "I have an idea!"

"What is it?" Sarah asks as she sighs in frustration. Casey just grunts angrily.

"If we cannot find the G.E.C.K., why not let them bring it to us?"

"How are we gonna do that, moron?" Casey asks.

"We highjack the Vertibird," chuck answers.

"None of us know how to fly it so let me rephrase what I said before, dumbass," Casey turns around to start searching some more

"Wait. That could work. We force the pilot with a gun in his face," Sarah states.

"Thank you," Chuck exhales in annoyance that someone finally agrees with him.

"Could work. Can you be inconspicuous about it Walker?" Casey asks.

"Holding a gun to someone while sitting right next to them?" Sarah chuckles. "Not a problem."

"Fine, let's get to the Vertibird before they get the G.E.C.K. on it" Casey says as they make their way to the landing pad. They get outside to see the Vertibird fifty feet in the air as it slowly descends onto the landing pad.

The three of them hide behind some boxes as the Vertibird comes to a standstill. Two soldiers step out and the pilot stays inside. The soldiers walk into the arena to leave the pilot alone and waiting.

"Let's move," Casey orders as they quickly make their way to the Vertibird. Casey slides open the passenger door and Sarah climbs in after Chuck.

"Uh, that was fast," the pilot says sheepishly without even looking back. "I'm ready when you guys are."

"That's good to know," Sarah smiles brightly as she sits in the seat next to him.

"You're not…" The pilot's voice trails off.

"That's right," Sarah keeps the large smile as she prods him in the side with the silenced 10mm pistol she brought with her. "Now, stay calm, listen to my orders, and maybe you'll survive this after all."

"Good job Jenny," Chuck smiles at her; using her cover name.

"Who the hell is Jenny?" Casey growls. Chuck points to Sarah and Casey just shakes his head. "Moron."

They wait in the Vertibird for ten minutes until the two soldiers come back with the G.E.C.K. in one of their hands. The soldier that isn't holding the G.E.C.K. opens the door to the Vertibird and steps in to see three new soldiers.

"You're not…" The Enclave soldier trails off.

"Welcome to the party," Chuck languidly says as he pulls the soldier into the Vertibird and aims his gun at the soldier. The other soldier, holding the G.E.C.K., runs back inside the arena.

"Shit," Casey curses loudly. "We need to get him."

Sarah knocks out the pilot immediately with a pistol whip and Casey knocks out the other soldier with a pistol whip.

A few seconds later, alarms start blaring. "That's not good."

"Shit," Casey curses.

"Colonel, we hear alarms. Do you need backup?" The Captain on the radio chirps.

"Yes, attack on all fronts!" Casey shouts as he puts the radio to his mouth.

"Yes sir, Colonel," the leader of the team chants back.

Only a minute later, bullet fire pierces the chilling night air. There is a distinctive difference in sound from the laser weapons of the Enclave and the normal weapons of the NCR. Chuck, Sarah, and Casey rush back inside while being careful. They get inside to see many half-asleep, half-alert soldiers rushing around frantically.

"What's going on?" Casey asks one of the frantic soldiers.

"The G.E.C.K.!" The soldier answers simply; not realizing Casey is not Enclave because of the disguise. "We need to protect it! They found two guards dead already. They can be anywhere man," the soldier says worriedly. "It's game over man! It's game over!"

Casey, Sarah, and Chuck follow the soldier as he leads them right past the tent the soldier with the G.E.C.K. entering a tent. They split from the soldier towards the room.

The three of them storm into the room, guns blazing. There are three officers standing by a table with guns on the table that are loaded and ready. The soldier with the G.E.C.K. is sprinting to the table when Casey, Sarah, and Chuck enter with their silenced pistols firing.

The soldier with the G.E.C.K. is cut down with two shots in the back. He drops to the ground; the G.E.C.K. soaring through the air and across the table to finally rest along the ground at the back of the tent.

The three soldiers didn't have enough time as three separate clips of silenced 10mm are exhausted on them. Their bullet riddled bodies fall to the ground lifelessly.

"Get the G.E.C.K," Casey orders Chuck. Chuck scrambles to it and grabs it. Casey tears it from Chuck's hand right away. "I don't trust you," he answers the unasked question on Chuck's face.

"We need to get out of here!" Sarah informs them. "More solders are gonna be here any minute."

The three of them step out of the tent and see the overwhelming number of soldiers running around.

"We're not gonna make it getting through all of them, are we?" Chuck asks hopelessly.

"Do you have another plan?" Casey asks.

"We can go back for the Vertibird. It's closer and less enemies to deal with," Sarah suggests.

"Who's gonna fly it?" Casey asks. "None of us know how to."

"Well it's either we fly it out or we get killed through the front lines."

"Alright. Let's get that bird and get out of here," Casey finally gives in. They start heading back while evading all the Enclave soldiers by slipping underneath each tent. They continue to slide under each tent to avoid the rush of soldiers as gunfire still fills the air. They get to the end of the tents and can see the landing pad only fifty feet away.

"We're gonna need to run it," Sarah says as she sees no cover.

"That?" Chuck asks fearfully. "I'm not the greatest sprinter."

"It's alright Chuck. Just run as fast as you can. You go first. We'll be right behind you."

"Are you sure?"

"Just go," Casey orders.

Chuck is about to slip under the tent to run. "Oh and Chuck; I love you," Sarah smiles at him.

"I love you too," he replies before sliding out.

The three of them sprint as fast as they can as soldiers see them and start shooting. Chuck is in front, followed by Sarah, and then Casey at the rear. Sarah's speed and strength allows her to catch up to Chuck as laser beams bursting from the laser weapons whizz by them. For a big guy, Casey is able to run faster than Chuck. Chuck tries to use his long legs to make huge strides as they near the exit to the landing pad.

As laser beams continue to zoom by them, they continue to run. Sarah gets to the exit first followed by Chuck. Sarah looks back to see Chuck run by and then hears a grunt from Casey less than a second later and sees the G.E.C.K. slide along the ground and through the exit.

"Shit, they hit Casey," Sarah peeks in to see him only a few feet from the exit. "Grab him and I'll give cover fire."

"Shit," Chuck peeks to see Casey firing his pistol while on the ground and holding the back of his left thigh.

Sarah pops out and starts firing her laser pistol erratically to scare the enemy soldiers into hiding. Chuck slips out into the middle and grabs Casey by the collar and drags him back. Sarah continues to fire along with Casey firing while being dragged through the exit.

"Ahh!" Chuck groans with pain as he falls to the ground from pain coursing in his upper left arm. He gets himself back up and pulls Casey around the last few feet into safety.

"Chuck, Casey. You guys alright?" Sarah asks worriedly.

"Oh god! I've been shot!" Chuck fearfully looks at his bloody and burned upper left arm

"The laser just nicked you, little girl. I'm alright. Basterds hit me in the back of the thigh," Casey grunts angrily.

"Chuck, help Casey get in the Vertibird," Sarah orders. "I'll start it up."

Sarah sweeps the G.E.C.K. up off the ground and rushes to the Vertibird while Chuck helps Casey get up and puts Casey's arm around his shoulder. Chuck helps Casey hobble into the Vertibird as Sarah gets it started.

"We need to get this thing off the ground now!" Casey shouts as lasers start barraging the hull of the Vertibird.

"Well, here goes nothing," Sarah says as she pushes the throttle forward and the propellers speed up and lift them in the air. Casey informs the backup team that they are taking a Vertibird for extraction.

Sarah then pushes forward on the dual handled steering wheel as the Vertibird soars forward instead of just up. Sarah spins it around and aims at the landing pad that is filled with numerous Enclave soldiers firing at them.

"What button do I hit?" Sarah wonders out loud as she looks for the button to fire the missiles or the Gatling laser. She sees a label that says weapons and two buttons below it. She presses the first one and a missile launches straight into the landing pad; killing many of the soldiers while crumpling the pad to rubble. "That works," she grins.

Sarah then turns the Vertibird shakily as she flies towards the NCR base. While Chuck and Casey patch themselves up. The Veritibird shakes and wavers as Sarah tries to get a feel for the controls. She finally gets control of the Vertibird and it settles smoothly.

"How are you guys doing?" She asks as she looks back quickly. "Chuck, you better be okay."

"We're fine," Casey says. "Your boy toy's only been scratched. I got tagged in the thigh. Nothing too bad."

"Oh thank god," Sarah sighs in relief.

"How long until we get back?" Chuck asks as he sits down next to her.

"Should only be ten minutes but I'll have to land it outside the base so they don't mistake us for Enclave," Sarah replies.

"Do you know how to land it?"

"Nope," Sarah answers quickly without even a faint hint of worry. She kisses him on the lips and looks at the bloody burn mark on his arm. "Does it hurt?"

"It's not too bad right now. Casey's in worse condition. He needs to get medical attention soon."

/

Sarah has no idea what she is doing as she eases up on the throttle. The Vertibird shakes violently as it slowly descends towards the ground. "You're doing great honey," Chuck encourages as he looks out the window at the ground.

Sarah continues to decrease the throttle until it turns off. The Vertibird's propellers stop and it drops fifteen feet and hits the ground with a crashing sound. The inside bounces from the abrupt fall, but everything simmers quickly.

"That wasn't too bad," Sarah smiles at Chuck.

"Talk for yourself," Casey grunts as he holds his leg.

"Casey, we're gonna deliver the G.E.C.K. and get some medics," Sarah explains. "You alright with staying here?"

"Yea, sure," Casey says as he lifts himself into a more comfortable position.

"Let's go Chuck," Sarah leads him out of the Vertibird while holding the G.E.C.K.

/

Sarah and Chuck make it to the base and go straight to Graham's tent. Graham is sitting at his desk when he looks up to see them come in.

"Is that it?" Graham asks with hope.

"Yes it is," Sarah places it on his desk.

"That was quick," Graham opens it up to stare at it.

"Yea. We decided to steal a Vertibird from them," Sarah smiles smugly. "Colonel Casey is inside and he has been shot. He needs medical attention. Same with Chuck here."

"I'm fine," Chuck waives her worries. "Casey needs help more."

"Take him to the infirmary," Graham tells Sarah. "I'll have some medics help Colonel Casey. I want a briefing at 0900 hours."

"Alright," Sarah and Chuck are just leaving.

"Oh and agents?" Graham asks smugly as they turn to look at him. He has a wicked grin on his face. "Thanks for the new toy."

"No problem," Sarah smiles as she leaves with Chuck.

/

Chuck got his arm patched up professionally. The laser barely penetrated his skin. They cleared him to leave in less than an hour. He and Sarah waited until they brought Casey into the infirmary.

"How're you doing big guy?" Chuck asks.

"Fine," Casey grunts back. He hates being in vulnerable positions.

"You need any company?" Sarah asks.

"No, go home and get some sleep. Good job out there. Both of you," Casey says.

"Thanks Casey," Sarah says genuinely.

"Wow, thanks," Chuck smiles. "You get better soon."

/

Sarah and Chuck head straight to their home; forgoing the lab because of the late hour. Both of them are quite tired and the minute they get there, Sarah strips out of her mission suit.

"I'm proud of you Chuck," Sarah says as she struggles with pulling off her long sock by hopping on one foot.

"Yea?" He questions with a growing smile.

"You did great out there. You were able to think on the fly and you helped Casey when he was down."

"I would do the same for you," Chuck kisses her and lays her on the bed and slides her sock off easily.

"I know you would," she smiles as she lifts her other foot in the air expecting him to remove the sock; which he happily did.

Sarah climbs into the bed in just her bra and panties and Chuck slides into the bed next to her in just boxers. "You think Casey is going to be alright?" Chuck asks.

"I'm sure he's fine. Now stop ruining the moment." She climbs on top of him and straddles him. "And help me with this bra."

"Gladly," he smiles brightly as he undoes her bra and she starts kissing him passionately. "You know we should really get some sleep with the early briefing tomorrow."

"Fine," Sarah pouts as she crosses her arms over her bare breasts and her lower lip protruding and her head tilted down at an angle.

"That's not fair! You look so cute right now," Chuck gives her his special giant smile that only she can bring out of him. She has to use all her willpower not to crumble from the smile. Sarah continues to pout adorably. "You know I can't resist that look. Come here baby," Chuck reaches his arms for her shoulders and brings her down to kiss her fervently.

/

Chuck wakes up while using Sarah's naked chest as a pillow. Somehow, he ended up sleeping crooked on the bed. He blames it on the multiple rounds of sex they had last night. Chuck gives her right nipple a kiss before looking up at her beautiful, peaceful face.

Chuck hesitantly removes his face from the soft fleshy pillow of Sarah's bare chest. He can't resist as he gives her nipple another light kiss. He lifts his arm and checks the time on his pip-boy. His eyes widen with terror.

"Sarah!" Chuck shakes her vigorously.

"Wha—wha—what?" Her sleepy voice wavers as he shakes her.

"It's already past eight! We have the briefing at nine, right?"

"Oh crap! Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Maybe because of all the extracurricular activities we did last night."

Sarah looks down to her naked chest and then back to Chuck. "Oh yea," she smiles at him as he climbs out of bed.

"Let's go, let's go, let's go," Chuck pulls the blankets off her; leaving her in just her panties.

"Chuck," Sarah whines sleepily.

"Come on," he spanks her on the ass playfully and then pushes her towards the edge of the bed.

"Fine, fine," she stands up and stretches her arms up.

"Stop turning me on and get ready," Chuck smiles at her quickly before getting dressed.

"You're no fun," she quips as she gets dressed too.

/

They make it to the briefing a few minutes late. Casey, wearing a bandage around his left thigh and a cane in his hand, and Graham are waiting impatiently. Chuck and Sarah push themselves into the tent and find their respected seats.

"Can't keep your chocolate out of Bartowski's peanut butter?" Casey quips.

"Shut up," Sarah gives Casey an angry glare while Chuck just grins.

"If you're done with your conversation, I would like to know the exact details of your mission," Graham interrupts.

"We apprehended the guards to the Enclave sub-base when they wouldn't allow us entrance," Casey starts.

"We searched for the G.E.C.K. but was unsuccessful until Chuck thought of stealing the Vertibird and letting them bring the G.E.C.K. to us," Sarah continues.

"We got inside the Vertibird and held the pilot hostage until the enemy with the G.E.C.K. blew our cover and ran inside and hit the alarm," Chuck continues.

"The area broke out into a gun fight and we were able to sneak through and reacquire the G.E.C.K. We had to make a run for the Vertibird where Bartowski and I were shot," Casey explains.

"We were able to get to the Vertibird with the G.E.C.K. and I was able to pilot the Vertibird to safety," Sarah finishes.

"Sounds like it was working well until after hijacking the Vertibird," Graham muses.

"That was where our covers were blown, yes," Casey confirms. "The distraction from General Beckman's assault teams was essential in our success in this mission."

"They better have been," Beckman says as she walks into the tent. "I lost some good soldiers but we were successful in taking the base."

"That's good news," Graham states. "Well done on the mission. We have a team working on the G.E.C.K. and are learning the technology of the Vertibird. Take a week off. You are all dismissed."

Chuck, Sarah, and Casey leave the tent.

"Looks like this is goodbye then," Chuck says slightly despondent that they are splitting from Casey.

"Yea. I'll see you around," Casey makes direct eye contact with both of them before walking off.

"He's not much of a 'goodbye' kind of guy, huh?" Chuck smiles at Sarah.

"Not really I guess," Sarah shrugs.

"So…" Chuck looks away nervously, "uh what happens with us? I never thought about after we finished the mission."

"What do you want to happen?" Sarah leans into his chest with a smile.

"I don't know. I just want you to always be in my life," he holds her against him.

"I'm not going anywhere Chuck. I love you and I want you to always be in my life too," she kisses him.

"I love you too."

**/**

**I feel like the ending of this story kind of just crept up out of nowhere. I didn't even realize how close it was until I started on this chapter. All that is left is an epilogue and the story will be complete. I hope to have that up on Wednesday.**

**Please review because this is the second to last chance that this story will be on the front page of the Chuck Fanfiction page so a review is exactly what you want to do.**

**The button at the bottom is what you're looking for (I wave two fingers across my body while using the force).**


	21. Chuck Versus the Consequences

**I need to thank all of you for your reviews and alert subscriptions and favoriting this story.**

**Sorry for the delay once again. I was drenched in assignments that forced this story to take a backseat to my life, albeit small.**

**I do not own Chuck or Fallout. **

**/**

Chuck and Sarah walk along the road towards the lab to tell everyone that they are safe and were successful in their mission. Their fingers are entwined as they hold each other's hand and gaze at each other lovingly. They walk off into the distance…

"And so the young man born Charles Bartowski ventured from the sanctity of Vault 6 with his best friend and sister for the simple task of finding his parents, but ended up changing the wasteland forever."

"The New California Republic celebrated their victory and the extermination of the New Angeles Enclave chapter, establishing definitive control of New Angeles."

"New Angeles, at long last, had entirely fallen under the NCR's banner."

"The Bartowski's, aiding healthily in their dealings, were honored for their dedication for support of the NCR."

"Stephen and Chuck Bartowski were presented with the Golden Branch, the highest civilian decoration given by the republic."

"The town of Jacobstown was spoken highly of after Sarah and Casey's time there. The NCR decided to leave protection for the safety of the citizens and the visitors."

"After saving the woman who was brutally raped and beaten by raiders, she made a full recovery and lived on to start a family of her own with one of the doctors who helped her recover."

"Because they were able to stop the Super Mutants, the vaulters were safe and found new respect for the NCR who saved them all, including Ellie Bartowski, from a gruesome death."

"Though they left the deathclaws to their own, few of the deathclaws ventured out of their crater. Luckily there was no civilization close enough for the deathclaws to wreak much havoc in."

"Chuck's need to help people caused them to save several people being used as slaves, including the young daughter of a worried father. Because of their help, the town was eternally grateful to the NCR; allowing the NCR to create an outpost in the settlement."

"The Brotherhood of Steel was virtually unscathed throughout as they were avoided when possible and unaware of their undesirable aid for the NCR. The Brotherhood and NCR are at constant differences; leading to numerous battles and even more casualties to both sides."

"Because Chuck disallowed Sarah and Casey killing the men who ambushed them while on their way to obtaining palladium, the survivors went on to kill, rape, and steal from multiple innocent wastelanders."

"Vault 6 was rebuilt and renovated to become a prosperous trading post thanks to Chuck Bartowski. Many of the original vault inhabitants decided to leave to explore the wasteland, but with the loss of some, new inhabitants were born and brought in to keep the population stable and healthy."

"With the death of Daniel Shaw, numerous people were spared from a horrific death because of his unethical tendencies."

"Soon after NCR's victory, they negotiated the supervision of the Staples Center and all trading. This created a standard barter system that the majority of merchants favored."

"Agent Sarah Walker and Colonel John Casey were bestowed the top military awards that the republic presents. Their names were whispered throughout the NCR as the heroes of New Angeles."

"Morgan Grimes returned to the Buy More where he lives with his loving girlfriend Anna. The BuyMore has appreciated greatly because of the priceless knowledge Morgan had learned from his vault years."

"Jill Roberts became a very useful assistant to Mary and Stephen Bartowski; helping them in their research with the Intersect. The Intersect was perfected and the NCR now uses it to train their soldiers."

"Ellie Bartowski and Devon Woodcomb stayed in love for years to come. They both became successful doctors that opened a clinic to help the poor and underprivileged. They married and had multiple children."

"John Casey stayed in the NCR and spent all of his life in the service; becoming a General and one of the most well-known war heroes in NCR history; becoming the hero of many battles against the Brotherhood of Steel and other oppositions."

"Agent Sarah Walker always had the job, but with Chuck Bartowski, she became a role model to all republic soldiers who thought about consorting while in the service. She was granted the nickname 'The Giant Blond She-male' because the fear of her deadly knife skills and ruthlessness when it comes to the people she cares about. She still works as a specialist but family always comes first for her."

"Charles Bartowski found not only a lifelong companion but also a lover in the beautiful Sarah Walker. They are happily in love and nothing in the world could change that. Chuck continues to live with her and also helps the NCR on special occasions with her. He still looks for the good in people and finds solace in helping them. Chuck and Sarah both celebrated their victory in a ten hour fest in their bed."

"In the new city of New Angeles and the greater areas, fighting continued, blood was spilled, and many lived and died just as they had in the old New Angeles."

"Because war…"

"War never changes."

**/**

**Thank you for reading. If this epilogue is an odd form, that is because I tried to make it in the style of Fallout. Again, thank you for all the reviews.**

**I could always use more reviews so if you are so inclined to do so, it would be most gracious of you.**


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